LEDISI
Her name reportedly means ''to bring forth'' in Yoruba, and indeed, the fairly obscure New Orleans R&B singer pulled ahead of many predicted favorites (Daughtry, anyone?) to land a coveted Best New Artist nomination. Like Feist, she's less new than ''new to Grammy voters''; active in the Bay Area music scene since the mid-'90s, Ledisi (she seldom uses her last name professionally) qualifies because her Lost & Found is her first release on a major label (it also got a nod for Best R&B Album). Intrigued? Get a sample of her sound on iTunes (try the single ''Alright'') or at myspace.com/ledisi