njie

NJIE was born with the birth name of Muriel Ako in Guadeloupe in the Caribbean. Guadeloupe is part of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, a protectorate of France and part of the European Union.

NJIE was raised in a family of musicians and dancers. Her aunt, in particular, was a talented flamenco dancer and sang opera as well. NJIE remembers hearing Bizet's Carmen played on the phonograph often. As she grew older, she decided she wanted to study opera, but her family didn't have the money to send her to France. Instead, NJIE found herself hanging around the local clubs in the afternoons after school. It was there she got her start as a singer, jamming with local jazz musicians.

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