Home » Jazz Musicians » Alicia Olatuja
Alicia Olatuja
ALICIA OLATUJA (SHORT BIO) Singer Alicia Olatuja wowed everyone at the 2013 presidential inauguration with her solo during the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir’s performance of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” She’s already earned raves from the New York Daily News and on the View, and with the Choir’s album released on iTunes, and a single "In The Dark" released on March 5 from Alicia’s own forthcoming CD, things are only looking up for her career.
Alicia Olatuja’s reputation has been growing since her arrival in New York in 2005. The New York Times praised her performance with her husband, bassist Michael Olatuja, in their band The Olatuja Project, lauding her “strong, lustrous tone.” The Olatuja Project, where Alicia sings in various African dialects such as Yoruba and Shona, recently released their debut album, the Promise.
Alicia has sung with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir since 2007, often performs as a soloist with the Juilliard Jazz ensemble, and has sung with various recording artists such as Christian McBride, Chaka Khan and Bebe Winans. She has just completed her upcoming solo album, on which she is joined by such acclaimed jazz artists as 3-time Grammy©-Award winner McBride and husband Michael Olatuja (both on bass), Jon Cowherd and two- time Grammy ©-nominee Christian Sands (both on piano), Grégoire Maret on harmonica, Ulysses Owens, Jr., on drums and David Rosenthal on guitar. Her solo debut album, titled Timeless, is slated for an October 14th release this year.
Alicia Olatuja is also a voice teacher, a vocal producer, and teaching artist for the Brooklyn Arts Council.
ALICIA OLATUJA (LONG BIO) While the 2013 Presidential Inauguration ceremonies may have featured such A-list talent as Beyonce and Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson and Alicia Keys, it’s the voice of a classically trained mezzo-soprano who has drawn the most critical acclaim. On the edition of The View that aired the day after the inauguration, co-host Elizabeth Hasselbeck raved about Alicia Olatuja’s “breathtaking” voice...even though she admitted she didn’t know the singer’s name. However, it won’t be long before her name has much more of a familiar ring to it.
In fact, the 30-year old Alicia Olatuja’s reputation has been growing since her arrival in New York in 2005. The New York Times praised her performance with her husband, bassist Michael Olatuja, in their band The Olatuja Project, lauding her “strong, lustrous tone.”
Although Alicia’s solo ran for only one minute of the Choir’s nearly five minute long performance, it resulted in several radio interviews, magazine articles praising her performance, an appearance on WNBC New York’s The Debrief with David Ushery, and a feature in the New York Daily News, which began by stating, “Brooklyn gave birth to a new musical star at Monday’s inauguration.”
Read moreTags
Dr. Lonnie Smith: Breathe
by La-Faithia White
Dr. Lonnie Smith, guru of the Hammond B3 organ for over five decades, now releases eight songs, six of which were recorded live in 2017 at The Jazz Standard in New York City, during his seventy-fifth birthday. In December 2020, The Jazz Standard closed because of the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic which has taken the lives of many jazz clubs throughout the USA. The opening song, “Why Can't We Live Together," is a remake of the 1972 ...
read moreDr. Lonnie Smith: Breathe
by Angelo Leonardi
Nel nuovo album di Dr.Lonnie Smith, appena uscito per la Blue Note, non c'è solo il traboccante groove del suo trio. Per il 75mo compleanno dell'organista Hammond, il produttore Don Was ha fatto le cose in grande, pubblicando la registrazione di una una serata allo Jazz Standard (a New York nel 2017) con un organico strumentale con nomi illustri, come il trombonista Robin Eubanks e la cantante Alicia Olatuja. Piuttosto insolita, ma riuscitissima, risulta poi la collaborazione ripresa in studio ...
read moreAlicia Olatuja: Intuition: Songs From The Minds Of Women
by Angelo Leonardi
È un tributo alla creatività delle donne in generale e delle cantautrici in particolare, questo di Alicia Olatuja, che interpreta composizioni di Tracy Chapman, Joni Mitchell, Violeta Parra, Sade Adu, Kate Bush e altre. Alicia ne aggiunge di proprie e partecipa come arrangiatrice in un progetto fortemente sentito e condiviso col produttore Kamau Kenyatta, noto per il suo ruolo nel successo di Gregory Porter, e con Ulysses Owens Jr. Alicia Olatuja è una versatile mezzosoprano, maturata ...
read moreAlicia Olatuja at Dazzle
by Geoff Anderson
Alicia Olatuja Dazzle Denver, CO July 25, 2019 If Alicia Olatuja wasn't a singer, she could probably be a counselor. As it is, she's a counselor to the songs she sings. She develops personal relationships with them. It seems that she spends hours with them on the couch intently listening to them and figuring out what makes them tick. After extensive psychoanalysis, she's ready to present the songs to the world. Knowing their deepest secrets, ...
read moreAlicia Olatuja talks about her "Intuition"
by Lorens Chuno
As an artist, Alicia Olatuja is distinguished by her graceful presence and her fine-tuned and soulful vocals. Her latest album, Intuition: Songs from the Minds of Women, is a collection of classic songs written by female composers. The album features David Rosenthal on guitar, Billy Childs on piano, Ulysses Owens Jr. on drums, Dayna Stephens on tenor saxophone, Jeremy Pelt, Etienne Charles on trumpet, Jon Cowherd on piano, Ben Williams on bass, Sullivan Fortner on piano, Michael Olatuja on bass. ...
read moreStLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Alicia Olatuja's "Intuition"
Source:
St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
This week, it's time to take a look at some videos featuring singer and St. Louis native Alicia Olatuja, who's coming back home to perform starting Wednesday, December 4 though Sunday, December 8 at Jazz St. Louis. Having played the Bistro previously as a guest artist with both drummer Ulysses Owens Jr and harmonica player Grégoire Maret, this will be Olatuja's second time headlining her own shows at the venue. You can read more of her back story and watch ...
read more
Jazz this week: Alicia Olatuja, jazz for Valentine's Day, and more
Source:
St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
For the second consecutive week, the calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features performances by a local expat making a triumphant return home after earning national acclaim. For more about that and the other jazz shows happening around town, let's go to the highlights... Wednesday, February 14 Singer Alicia Olatuja performs for the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro. Known by her maiden name Alicia Miles while growing up in St. Louis, Olatuja ...
read more
Jazz this week: Grégoire Maret & Alicia Olatuja, Peter Evans Septet, Steve Tyrell, Liberation Music Collective, and more
Source:
St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
It's a busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with an eclectic selection of visiting performers offering something for listeners with tastes ranging from vintage jazz to mainstream to experimental. Let's go to the highlights... Wednesday, April 12 Harmonica player Grégoire Maret, with singer and St. Louis native Alicia Olatuja as his featured guest, opens a four-night engagement continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. One of a scant handful of headlining jazz performers on his ...
read more
"Brooklyn gives birth to new musical star, singer Alicia Olatuja, at inauguration." - The New York Daily News
Considering all of the talent that had already graced her stage at Carnegie Hall on Feb. 16—Esperanza Spalding, Lalah Hathaway, George Duke, Terri Lyne Carrington and Nadia Washington—Dianne Reeves recognized that one of the most thrilling vocalists of today was actually sitting in the audience: Alicia Olatuja. Giving Alicia a shout-out between songs, Reeves acknowledged the up-and-coming star's breathtaking performance at President Obama's inauguration and predicted great things ahead for her. It may not be long before Alicia Olatuja is the one headlining Carnegie and inviting HER friends to join her in song in that world-renowned venue! - Jeff Tamarkin, Associate Editor, JazzTimes magazine
Primary Instrument
Vocals
Location
New York City
Credentials/Background
Private Voice Instruction AOVS 2014 Hello there! Thank you for your interest in AOVS (Alicia Olatuja Voice Studios) I hope the studio information below is successful in helping you learn more about the studio and how you can get the most out of your studio experience. I look forward to working with you! Lessons are located at my home in Brooklyn and are tailored to each student, as every voice is unique. For this reason I do not do group lessons but work with each vocalist individually however, other parties can watch if permitted by the student
Photos
Music
Videos
Alicia Olatuja
Location: New York City
Instrument: Vocals
Born: June 16
Publicist: Kari-On Productions
