Earlier this week, I was listening to the jazz channel on SiriusXM and they played a song that really grabbed me by an artist who goes by the name of Somi. I found her on Spotify and am listening now to her latest album, Zenzile: The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba.
Spotify has this to say about her: "Somi Kakoma is a Billboard charting and Grammy-nominated vocalist, composer, and writer. Born in Illinois to immigrants from Uganda and Rwanda, she is known in the jazz world simply as ‘Somi’. Having built a career of transatlantic storytelling, she is the first African woman ever nominated in any Grammy jazz category (2021 Best Jazz Vocal Album) for her live album Holy Room."
I like African music and have seen several major African performers (among them Femi Kuti, Hugh Masekela, King Sunny Ade, and Miriam Makeba, the inspiration for this album). But I had never heard of Somi until now, and I am very glad that I have discovered her music.
Zenzile is a lovely album and I recommend it highly, especially if you like jazz vocalists or African music. If you don't have time to listen to the whole album, I recommend 'Kwedini'; it's gorgeous.
No comments:
Post a Comment