Vocalist, composer, actor, and playwright Somi Kakoma is a sublimely gifted artist possessed of rare power and clarity. A Doris Duke Performing Artist Award winner, TED Senior Fellow, and the first African artist nominated for the GRAMMY for Best Jazz Vocal Album, she is “a virtuosic performer in full command of her instrument and powers” (The New York Times). Following her standout performance at the 42nd San Francisco Jazz Festival in 2025, she returns for a night on the Miner Auditorium stage.

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SOMI

SFJAZZ Center

Riveting vocalist and composer Somi Kakoma, known simply as “Somi,” is truly a jazz artist for our globally connected times.

Somi

University of California, Berkeley

SOPAC welcomes the Mainstage debut of Grammy-nominated, multi-lingual vocalist, composer, actor, and playwright SOMI. Her virtuosity, crystalline lyricism, and abiding song interpretation prompt frequent collaborations with internationally acclaimed artists, but her expanding presence as a leader continues to receive peer recognition and critical praise. Experience SOMI’s depth and the layers of her artistry live at SOPAC!

Somi

Events

Past events

Oct 11, 2026

SOMI · San Francisco Jazz

Feb 21, 2026

Somi · Cal Performances

About

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