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<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">SOMI ANNOUNCES NEW YORK CITY RECORD RELEASE SHOW<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Tuesday, August 9<sup>th</sup> at Le Poisson Rouge
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
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<b><i><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Somi to be joined by author </span>
</i></b><b><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Teju Cole<i> and opening act
</i>Morley </span></b><b><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
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<b><u><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">First live album, <i>Live at Jazz Standard</i> out August 2<sup>nd</sup></span></u></b><b><u><sup><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></sup></u></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Acclaimed vocalist and songwriter<b> Somi</b> will celebrate the release of her first live album,
<b><i>Live At Jazz Standard</i></b> with a show at <b>New York City’s Le Poisson Rouge</b> on
<b>Tuesday, August 9th.</b> Somi will be joined by a talented five-piece ensemble composed of Michael Olatuja (bass), Liberty Ellman (guitar), Jeff Haynes (percussion), Dave Eggar (cello/piano), and Jaleel Shaw (saxophone). Somi has not only invited this intimate
jazz chamber ensemble to explore new arrangements of her original music, but she will also weave in spoken literary excerpts on living and love from acclaimed author
<b>Teju Cole<i> (Open City).</i></b> Somi will also be joined by New York based singer and composer
<b>Morley</b> who will be opening the show. <span style="color:black"> <b><i>Live at Jazz Standard</i></b> is set for release on
<b>August 2<sup>nd</sup></b> via <b>Palmetto Records</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">After a year of constant touring that has seen
<b>Somi</b> bringing a voice that <b><i>JazzTimes</i></b> describes as “the earthy gutsiness of Nina Simone blended with the vocal beauty of Dianne Reeves” to a number of high-profile stages around the globe, the vocalist and
<b>2011 Global TED Fellow </b>settled into a two night residency at the renowned <b>
Jazz Standard</b> in New York to record a live set that has been honed to a razor-sharp execution. The product,
<b><i>Live At Jazz Standard</i></b><i>,</i> showcases her brilliant artistry and tight song craft alongside the spontaneity and passion of her live performance, supported by the remarkable talent of her backing band.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">One of the most promising voices in a new generation of emerging jazz artists, <b>Somi’s</b> most recent studio album, <b><i>If The Rains Come First</i></b>, debuted
at #<u>2 on the Billboard World Music Charts</u>, peaked at <u>#1 on iTunes World Chart</u>,
<u>hit #1 on Jazz Week’s World Music Chart</u> and landed in the <u>Top 20 Soul/R&B albums on <a href="http://Amazon.com/"><span style="color:windowtext">Amazon.com</span></a></u>. The album was universally praised by critics, and led Somi to collaborations
with a diverse group of artists and fans including John Legend, Cassandra Wilson, Mos Def, Paul Simon, Idan Raichel and most recently Hugh Masekaela. Somi is also known in her home base of New York City for her celebrated non-profit organization New Africa
Live, a platform for multi-disciplinary events and performances founded with the aim of carving out a cultural space of belonging for contemporary African artists through events that entertain, educate, and create awareness of the value of African culture
in a globalized world. In the past year Somi has performed at a number of esteemed venues and festivals including
<b>The Monterey Jazz Festival, Lagos Jazz Series Festival, the Black World Arts Festival</b> in Dakar, Senegal, and a performance for
<b>Senegalese President Wade</b> alongside nine other African heads of state</span>
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Presidential Palace.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">“<i>…</i>unites the familiar with the exotic and reveals the universal qualities that can be found in individual experience. These intimate ruminations need no larger-than-life
sonic padding – they’re a potent brew from the first sip to the last drop.” – <b>
<i>NPR All Things Considered</i></b> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> “Pioneer of a new and promising generation of emerging African artists.” –
<b><i>Vogue</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">"A world music luminary!" -
<b><i>The New Yorker<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><a href="http://www.somimusic.com/"><span style="color:#0019FF;text-decoration:none">www.somimusic.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">*To request review tickets or an interview with Somi, reach out!*<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Contact:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Press Here<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">212.246.2640<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Ashley Bryan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><a href="mailto:ashley@pressherepublicity.com"><span style="color:#0019FF;text-decoration:none">ashley@pressherepublicity.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">Ashley Bryan</span><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">PRESS HERE</span><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">138 W. 25th St., 9th fl
</span><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">New York, NY 10001</span><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">p. 212 246 2640</span><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">f. 212 582 6513</span><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif""><a href="mailto:ashley@pressherepublicity.com"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">ashley@pressherepublicity.com</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"">
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