Famous Black 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.

Johnny Mathis is an American singer and songwriter. Best known for his contribution to popular music, Mathis has been honored with many awards including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Society of Singers Lifetime Achievement Award. Johnny Mathis is also renowned for his philanthropic efforts; he has supported such organizations as the American Cancer Society and Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Jazz singer and dancer, Cab Calloway, was a famous vocalist of the swing era.  From the early 1930s to the late 1940s, he led a very popular band that included musicians like  Dizzy Gillespie, Jonah Jones, and Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham. A man of color, he became the first African-American musician to sell a million records from a single song.

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.

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. 

Barbara Hendricks is an American concert singer and operatic soprano. She has performed at major opera houses all over the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Opéra National de Paris, the Royal Opera House, and La Scala. Barbara Hendricks also performs jazz music and has performed at popular jazz festivals around the world.

Dorival Caymmi was a Brazilian singer-songwriter. He played a major role in the birth of Brazil's bossa nova movement. He gained much fame for his ballads celebrating the fishermen and women of Bahia. In an extensive career spanning more than 70 years, he composed around 100 songs and influenced Brazil's image in the eyes of both Brazilians and foreigners. 

Dorothy Masuka was a jazz singer whose music gained popularity in South Africa during the 1950s. Masuka's music had a strong influence on the people of South Africa, so much so that the government banned her song Dr. Malan which was about difficult laws in the country. She was exiled in 1961 when she performed a song for Patrice Lumumba.