Somi

Somi is a jazz vocalist, songwriter, and playwright whose music bridges her East African heritage with American jazz and soul. Born in Champaign, Illinois to parents of Rwandan and Ugandan descent, she built a body of work rooted in the cultural space between Africa and America. Her 2014 album The Lagos Music Salon, recorded after an extended stay in Lagos, Nigeria, debuted at the top of the US jazz charts and featured guests including Angelique Kidjo and Common. In 2021 she became the first African woman nominated for a Grammy in a jazz category, for the live album Holy Room: Live at Alte Oper, and in 2022 she released Zenzile: The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba, a tribute to the South African singer. Based in New York, she has presented her Mother Africa Salon at Dizzy's Club.