[1] When Somi was three years old, her family moved to Ndola, Zambia, while her father worked for the World Health Organization.

[1] In 2007, she licensed her independently recorded album Red Soil in My Eyes to the Harmonia Mundi/World Village label for her first international distribution deal.

The record received wide critical acclaim with the hit single "Ingele" that maintained a Top 10 position on U.S. World Music Charts for several months.

The album features South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela, Somi's long-time mentor, as a guest on one track.

In March 2011, Somi recorded her first live concert album at the legendary Jazz Standard in New York City.

In 2013, Somi signed her first major label deal with Sony Music to become one of the first artists on their relaunched historic jazz imprint Okeh Records.

On the heels of much critical acclaim and a rapidly growing fan base, The Huffington Post and other publications dubbed Somi "the new Nina Simone".