Akua Allrich: Tribute to Miriam Makeba & Nina Simone

Akua Allrich

Jazz vocalist Akua Allrich is a musician of extraordinary talent and crowd-moving passion. The charismatic vocalist, composer, and teacher has etched out a place for her unique musical expression, electrifying audiences in and around the nation’s capital and far beyond, through live performances and four major recordings.

Her 2010 independent release, A Peace of Mine, created significant buzz with critics and music lovers, earned international attention and won distribution through a Japanese record label one year later. Uniquely Standard: Akua Allrich Live! was released in 2012, followed by Soul Singer in 2015. In March of 2026 she released Bonya. The live recording is a deeply personal tribute to her father’s legacy and reflects her Pan- African approach to musical expression. 

Allrich’s style is rooted in blues, soul, and rhythm and blues and jazz. With an open ear to the world’s music, she sings in Portuguese, French, Spanish, English, Twi and Xhosa. She has been likened to legendary artists who were important civil rights activists: South Africa’s Miriam Makeba (1932-2008) and America’s Nina Simone (1933-2003).  In her Annapolis Jazz & Roots performance on November 14, she’ll pay tribute to both while sharing her own acclaimed compositions.

The venue, Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum, could hardly be more appropriate. Audiences are invited to arrive early to take in the current art exhibition. She Speaks: Black Women Artists and the Power of Historical Memory examines the 250-year history of the United States of America through a Black Feminist lens.

This has been an amazing year for Akua Allrich. In addition to releasing her album Bonya, she has partnered with acclaimed trumpeter and educator Dominick Farinacci as a featured vocalist for his multimedia production, Behind the Lines: A 9/11 Story. The performance weaves jazz, soul, and narrative storytelling together to explore themes of resilience and memory. Dates for that project are interspersed with album release appearances featuring her signature band, Akua Allrich & the Tribe. Those dates most often include internationally respected bassist Kris Funn. Her frequent and long-term collaborator, Funn provides deep blues flavor and foundational grooves to the new album.

Akua Allrich was educated at Howard University, where she earned a bachelor of music in jazz vocals and a master’s degree in social work. She was mentored and coached by prominent jazz figures, including her godmother Kehembe V. Eichelberger, pianist Charles Covington, and singer/drummer Grady Tate. Her father, Agyei Akoto, was a founding member of the spiritual jazz ensemble Nation. The family home held a wealth of cherished recordings that she and her siblings were invited to explore. (She did not buy any albums until her second year in college because her parents had such an amazing collection of jazz records!). One of the first jazz albums she bought was John Coltrane’s Live at the Village Vanguard: The Master Takes. It is serendipitous that Annapolis Jazz & Roots pays tribute to Coltrane on Opening Night!

A mature, respected yet ever evolving artist, Akua Allrich has inspired music lovers from all walks of life. She has learned to see music as a tool for healing, truth, and empowerment Audiences have come to expect nothing short of brilliant artistry from her. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear her in Annapolis!