There are few rarities in this day and age — female Indigenous jazz singers like Julia Keefe are one of them. She’s a member of the Nez Perce tribe and grew up on a reservation in Idaho.
After moving to Washington state, she began studying music and competing in jazz festivals. She graduated from the University of Miami in 2012, and in the time since then, she’s taught jazz voice classes, headlined events in Washington, D.C., and opened for Grammy winners Tony Bennett and Esperanza Spalding.
The Conversation got the chance to talk to Keefe about her love for jazz and how her culture influences her art. Keefe will be on Hawaiʻi Island to perform at the Kahilu Theatre on Saturday night.
This interview aired on The Conversationon Aug. 18, 2022. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
