Akua Naru

In the artist's words:

Known for her electrifying performances, Akua Naru has graced the stages of more than fifty countries on five continents, making her poetic messages heard in the fight against racism, discrimination and gender-based violence.

With the release of her debut album 'The Journey Aflame' in 2011, Akua Naru burst onto the scene with her powerful politics of liberation. A true wordsmith whose music, deeply nuanced, poetic and wise, focuses on the experiences of black women through rhyme. Renowned scholar Dr. Cornel West called her the 'Toni Morrison of hip-hop'.

To date, she has released four albums: '...the journey aflame (2011)', 'Live & Aflame Sessions (2012)', 'The Miner's Canary (2015)', and 'The Blackest Joy (2018)'. Naru has collaborated with Tony Allen, Eric Benét, Angelique Kidjo, Tuneyards, Questlove, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Christian Scott, Rah Digga, Mulatu Astatke, Bernard Purdie, Cody ChesnuTT and many others. Her artistry is a testament to the legacy of soul music and the powerful, groundbreaking tradition of black women artists on which she builds.