Sampda Sharma, known professionally as Samsaya, was born on November 3, 1979, in Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, India. She is a Norwegian singer and actress who moved to Norway at the age of eleven months. Growing up in Oslo, she was influenced by hip-hop music and began her musical journey with local urban musicians.
Samsaya released her debut album Shedding Skin in 2004, which included the hit track "Ever been had?". After touring Norway, she took a break and set off to New York City. In 2008, she achieved significant chart success with the single "Change", which reached number 2 on the Norwegian singles chart VG-lista. She was signed to Bonnier Amigo, the same label as Madcon and Paperboys. Her track "Dodge it" (Eve Nelson/Samsaya) was featured in the Oscar-nominated movie, The Wrestler. In 2015, she released her album Bombay Calling, which included the single "Stereotype".
