Metropole Orkest & Somi

“A virtuosic performer in full command of her instrument and powers.” – The New York Times

This fall, singer, composer, and playwriter Somi Kakoma, better known as ‘Somi’, shares the stage with the Metropole Orkest, conducted by Vince Mendoza. As the daughter of immigrants from Uganda and Rwanda, Somi brings a unique musical perspective that earned her a Grammy nomination in 2021 for Best Jazz Vocal Album for her live album Holy Room: Live At Alte Oper. She became the first African woman nominated in any of the Grammy jazz categories. Somi has previously collaborated with Gregory Porter, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Seun Kuti.

As the winner of the 2023 Doris Duke Artist Award and recipient of two NAACP Image Awards, Somi has made her mark as an influential force in the world of jazz and music. A memorable fusion of Somi’s smooth jazz and African rhythms intertwined with the unmatched sound of the Metropole Orkest.