Samara Joy

The American singer Samara Joy performs on 14 November at the Teatro Monumental, as part of the joint programme of the Villanos de Jazz cycle and the new edition of JAZZMADRID, EL Festival Internacional de Jazz de Madrid. Now one of the great voices of contemporary vocal jazz, the New York-born artist comes to Madrid to present the compositions from her album Portrait and to revisit great classics of the traditional repertoire.

Born in the Bronx into a family with a strong musical tradition, Samara Joy trained by singing gospel in church and discovered her vocation for classic jazz during her teenage years. Her career took a decisive leap after she won the Sarah Vaughan International Competition in 2019 and graduated from the prestigious SUNY Purchase university. Since her emergence, she has been hailed as a direct heir to figures such as Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae or Betty Carter, thanks to her refined technique and her velvety timbre.

Despite her youth, she already has several Grammy Awards to her name, including Best New Artist following the release of her acclaimed second album, Linger Awhile (2022). Through her interpretations of standards and her huge reach on social media, Samara Joy has succeeded in connecting the classic vocal jazz of the mid-twentieth century with new generations, selling out venues in temples of the genre such as the Village Vanguard, the Apollo Theater and Carnegie Hall.

At her Teatro Monumental date, Samara Joy will showcase her talent by bringing to life the tracks from Portrait (2024), an album recorded at the historic Van Gelder Studios.