Born to a Eritrean father and a Ethiopian mother, she was sent to the
Eritrean Liberation Front at the age of six. After serving as a child
soldier for three years, she went to Sudan, where she lived with her
uncle.
Emigrated to Hamburg, Germany when she was 12 years old.
Had her breakthrough as singer in Germany with the 2001 hits "Leben"
(life) and "Aura" (aura).
Her autobiography "Feuerherz" was published in 2004.