Jazz act Somi wins second NAACP Image Award in the US

This is the second time Somi has received the award and the first time she has won it as a collaboration. Her 2007 album Petite Afrique – a tribute to Harlem’s (New York) long-standing African immigrant community, was her first win in 2008. 

“Thank you NAACP Image Awards for this immense honour”, Somi wrote on Facebook. “I’m ululating all the way from Kigali (in the middle of the night) with so much gratitude. Thank you for seeing my heart and listening to yours. I celebrate this moment with my generous collaborators and congratulations to my fellow nominees.”

Holy Room: Live at Alte Oper with Frankfurt Radio Big Band was recorded with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band during her performance for the Hessischer Rundfunk national broadcaster at the Alte Oper concert hall in Frankfurt, Germany, in May 2019. 

Award-winning pianist John Beasley contributed expert big band arrangements and conduction and was accompanied by Somi’s longtime collaborators – guitarist Hervé Samb and pianist Toru Dodo. 

The performance explored her repertoire taken from her previous two albums – The Lagos Music Salon (2014) and Petite Afrique – both of which earned her the Echo Music Prize nominations as Best International Jazz Vocalist.

Proceeds from the album’s sales are being donated to the Black Art Futures Fund – a collective of emerging philanthropists promoting the elevation and preservation of black arts and culture.

The NAACP Image Awards are held annually by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honour outstanding performances in film, television, music, and literature.