Laura Audrey Kabasomi, now "Somi" Kakoma, was born in Chicago to parents of Rwandan origin. Yet, she spent much of her young life, first in Zambia, then in many other African countries while working for an aid organization for children orphaned by AIDS. These experiences-and her Afro-American duality-are aptly exploited in her songs. Blessed with an exceptional voice covering a four-octave range, Somi is an artist in the pure tradition of great black jazz singers. In 2007, she released the CD Red Soil in My Eyes.