Seat selection on map [Kursaal Auditorioa | 23.07.2026 - 18:30 | Samara Joy] - Donostia Kultura

Samara Joy

Few figures in the history of Jazz have had as a meteoric rise as Samara Joy. Let alone at such a young age. At just 26, her career is already nothing short sensational.

A five-time Grammy winner, including Best New Artist, Joy has become a top-tier presence, with visibility worthy of the biggest pop stars. Her impact has taken her to major television networks and connected her with new generations through platforms such as TikTok. Her track record thus far as a performer speaks for itself: she has featured at legendary festivals such as Newport, Monterey or Montreal, and performed at iconic venues such as the Apollo Theatre, Carnegie Hall, the Village Vanguard or Jazz at Lincoln Center.

A native of the Castle Hill neighbourhood in the Bronx, she grew up surrounded by music. Her grandparents, Elder Goldwire and Ruth McLendon, led the Philadelphia gospel group, The Savettes. Her father, Antonio McLendon, a musician and composer, toured with Andraé Crouch and recorded his own repertoire. As a child, she fell in love with classic R&B and honed her voice in the gospel choir of her church. She discovered Jazz in her teens at the Fordham High School for the Arts, where she won the Best Vocalist award within the prestigious Lincoln Center Essentially Ellington programme. In 2019, she won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. That was a turning point for her, launching her definitively onto the professional scene.

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