Ngaiire

A singer and songwriter who specializes in an off-center hybrid of pop and R&B, Ngaire Joseph, known as Ngaiire, made a name for herself as a Top 30 contestant on the second season of Australian Idol. Her performances of Mary J. Blige's "No More Drama" and John Farnham's "Don't Let It End" -- a pair of ballads almost comically dissimilar from one another -- barely hinted at the creative directions Joseph took later. Born in Lae, Papua New Guinea but based in Sydney, Joseph had a turbulent childhood. She beat an early case of cancer, her home was buried by volcanic ash, and her...