Latin Grammy Nominee for Best Latin Jazz Album 2019 Claudia Acuña was born on July 3, 1971 in Santiago and raised in Concepcion, and established herself on the Chilean jazz scene in her early 20s. When she arrived in New York City in 1995, Acuña quickly gained recognition as a leading voice on a scene rapidly being transformed by a wave of brilliant Latin American musicians. Part of the scene centered on Small's and she plunged into collaborations with masters such as Jason Lindner, Harry Whitaker, Arturo O'Farrill, Guillermo Klein, Avishai Cohen, Branford Marsalis, George Benson, Louie Vega, Danilo Perez, and Tom Harrill. Her five albums as a leader established Acuña as a creative force, from 2002's Rhythm of Life (Verve) and 2004's Luna (MaxJazz) to 2008's In These Shoes (Zoho Music) and 2009's strikingly beautiful En Este Momento (Marsalis Music).

Whether putting her stamp on popular Latin American ballads, reimagining jazz standards from a South American perspective, or bringing infusing Afro-Caribbean material with a wide rhythmic sensibility, Acuña stands out as a passionate and emotionally incisive singer with a gleaming, burnished bronze tone. For much of the past decade she's put her recording career on the backburner to focus on raising her son. Instead of touring, she's stayed closer to home, where her keen intelligence and intrepid spirit has made her the vocalist of choice for many of jazz's most creative figures.

Photo credit: Hollis King

Website
Bandcamp