Recognized with the 2018 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album, Somi and her vocal stylings have drawn comparisons to Nina Simone, Miriam Makeba, and Sarah Vaughan, but her mesmerizing singing and songwriting have created an identity all her own. Born in Champaign-Urbana to East African parents, Somi has become “the quintessential artist citizen of the world,” observing, composing, and performing with insight, compassion, and deeply engaging musical skill (NPR).
