Nadia Ali — Pakistani Musician born on August 03, 1980,

Nadia Ali is a Pakistani American singer-songwriter. Ali gained prominence in 2001 as the frontwoman and songwriter of the band iiO after their debut single "Rapture" reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also charted across several countries in Europe. Their 2006 single, "Is It Love?", reached the top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Chart... (wikipedia)

The advice I would give to girls from Eastern backgrounds who are interested in the arts is that it is always beneficial to get your academic studies out of the way before going into the competitive world of the arts.
I think being an Asian woman has been more of an advantage than a disadvantage. It helps me stand out from the rest of the entertainers out there. Again, being from such an ethnically diverse place like New York, you get comfortable and confident with being different!
Since I was a child, I always loved music that made me want to dance. As a teenager, I used to dance the night away to electronic music.
As a person, I believe that I am sensitive, which helped me be the artist I am.
I love Chicago. It's one of my favorite cities, hands down.