Buika

Born in Spain to parents in political exile from Equatorial Guinea, she grew up on the Spanish island of Mallorca. She was exposed to great jazz singers by her mother and forged a breathtaking, soul-drenched vocal style combining traditional Spanish coplas with the Gypsy laments of flamenco and jazz improvisation. A commanding performer with a husky, crushed-velvet voice, Buika saw her career catch fire in 2009 with El Último Trago, a collaboration with Cuban piano giant Chucho Valdés that netted the pair a Latin GRAMMY for Best Traditional Tropical Album and was certified gold. In 2010, during Chick Corea’s month-long residency at the Blue Note in New York, Buika was featured in his stunning flamenco ensemble in performances that inspired JazzTimes to call her “a powerhouse with great range and emotional depth.” National Public Radio voted her one of the world’s “50 Great Voices,” her latest release, Para Mí, was nominated for a GRAMMY.