Female Jazz Singers

Nigerian-British singer Helen Folasade Adu, or Sade Adu, often blends Afro-Cuban tunes with soul and smooth jazz in her music. The Grammy Award winner had initially studied fashion designing and been a model. The founder of the band Sade, she has released iconic tracks such as No Ordinary Love.

Ella Fitzgerald was an American jazz singer. Referred to as the Queen of Jazz, First Lady of Song, and Lady Ella, Fitzgerald was renowned for her impeccable diction, purity of tone, timing, and intonation. The winner of Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Medal of Arts, Fitzgerald's legacy lives on several years after her death.

Widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Nina Simone was a pioneering recording artist whose career was characterized by improvisational genius and fits of outrage. Nina continues to be an important musician and has influenced several artists like Elton John, Adele, David Bowie, Madonna, and Aretha Franklin. She was also a civil rights activist.

Bessie Smith was an American singer who gained popularity during the Jazz Age. Dubbed the Empress of the Blues, Smith was one of the most famous blues singers of the 1920s and 1930s. Counted among the greatest singers of her generation, Bessie Smith was a major influence on several other singers. Her life and work inspired the TV film Bessie.

Irish singer Imelda May, who has released chart-topping albums such as Love Tattoo, is also a talented multi-instrumentalist, well-versed in a wide range of instruments such as the guitar, the bodhrán, the tambourine. She also became a published poet with her volume A Lick and a Promise.

Norah Jones is an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. Having sold over 50 million records worldwide, Jones is one of the most successful and best-selling singers of her generation. She was ranked 60th on the artists of the 2000s decade list published by Billboard magazine. Norah Jones has won several prestigious awards including multiple Grammy Awards and Billboard Music Awards.

Astrud Gilberto is a Brazilian singer best known as an exponent of bossa nova and samba. She achieved international recognition in the 1960s after the release of her song The Girl from Ipanema. In 1992, she was honored with the Latin Jazz USA Award. In 2002, Astrud Gilberto was made an inductee of the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.

Celeste is an American-British singer-songwriter who became the fifth artist to win the Rising Star Award and top the BBC's Sound of poll in the same year in 2019. Considered one of the finest singers of her generation, Celeste is also admired for her fashion sense. In 2020, she was featured in one of the Top 10 lists by Elle.

Patricia Kaas is a French actress and singer who has sold more than 17 million records all over the world. Kaas took part in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009 and finished eighth. Over the years, she has received several prestigious awards, such as World Music Awards and Golden Europa's Female Singer of the Year award.

Basia is a Polish recording artist, singer, and songwriter best known for her Latin-inspired jazz-pop music. She achieved international fame between 1987 and 1995 with the release of her studio albums, London Warsaw New York and Time and Tide. Apart from her home country, Basia is also popular in the UK, USA, and some Asian countries.  

Montreal-based singer Nikki Yanofsky was 12 when she became the youngest artist to headline a show at the Montreal Jazz Festival. At 15, she was already an international star. Her credits include the 2010 Winter Olympics theme song, I Believe, which rocked the Canadian charts. She is also associated with children’s charities.

Concha Buika is a Spanish singer who has been active in the music industry for two decades. She is the daughter of writer Juan Balboa. As a singer and composer, she derives inspiration from a wide range of genres including jazz, flamenco, pop, soul, and African polyrhythm. She is internationally famous and has performed in US, Europe, and Latin America.