On a Wednesday night in 1942, Newark teenager Sarah Vaughan went to the Apollo Theater to compete in an amateur singing contest. It was the chance to win $10 and a weeklong engagement performing on the Apollo stage. Instead, Vaughan’s win launched a career that would transform America’s original art form and an icon who elevated the craft of jazz vocal music and garnered the respect and adoration of millions. Now, it’s time for history to repeat itself.
The Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition is open to solo vocalists of all nationalities who are not signed to a major record label. Singers are judged on vocal quality, musicality, technique, performance, individuality, artistic interpretation and ability to swing. The finals will be held November 14, 2021 in Newark , NJ.
Meet the 5 finalists!
Andrea Miller
Costa Mesa, CA
April May Webb
Edison, NJ
Arta Jekabsone
Jersey City, NJ
G. Thomas Allen
Chicago, IL
Vik Gečytė
Paris, France