Somi

Born in Illinois to Rwandan and Ugandan parents, Somi’s sound has been influenced by African musical icons such as Miriam Makeba and jazz legends such as Nina Simone. In fact, JazzTimes notes that her performances contain “the earthy gutsiness of [Simone] blended with the vocal beauty of Dianne Reeves…” In 2011 Somi moved from New York City to Lagos for eighteen months, seeking inspiration. The resulting album, The Lagos Music Salon, was released in 2014 as her major label debut and landed at the #1 spot on the US jazz charts. A scholar and a TED Senior Fellow, Somi involves global discourse in her music in a fresh, engaging way. Her band includes Liberty Ellman (guitar), Ben Williams (bass), and Toru Dodo (piano).