The “First Lady of Gospel,” she has received 10 Grammy Awards, 12 Stellar Awards, and 17 Dove Awards, but her commitment to her church remains paramount. Of her call to the ministry, she said, “I am called to be a preacher-evangelist first, and a singer second.”
Suni Paz was one of the first artists to bring the nueva canción tradition—the “new song” music of the 1960s and 1970s—to North American audiences. For more than half of a century, her work as an American songwriter and performer of Latin American folk music has resonated as a cultural force, engaging people of all backgrounds and ages.
Chinese opera performer
Viola Gertrude Wells Evans was a popular singer specializing in gospel, blues, and jazz music.
Carmen McRae was one of the great singers of jazz, finding the depth of feeling in the lyrics of the songs she interpreted.
Cassandra Wilson has used her distinctive voice and fascinating arrangements of standards, in not just jazz, but blues, country, and folk as well, to create a body of work that has expanded the definition of jazz.
World-renowned African-American recording artist
Singer Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990) launched her jazz career at the world-renowned Apollo theatre’s amateur-night contest.
Astrud Gilberto spread bossa nova to a welcoming world – but got little love back in Brazil
Powerful gospel and rhythm and blues singer