Jazz, Blues and Soul vocalist Rhonda Benin is a one of San Francisco's most sought after singers. From leading her band Soulful Strut, her 25 years touring the world with Linda Tillery and The Cultural Heritage Choir or producing her annual show, "Just Like A Woman", Benin continues to entertain audiences all over the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Languages: English
Gig length: 30 - 60 minutes
Unions: AFM, SAG-AFTRA
Rhonda Benin
Jazz, Blues & Soul Vocalist
“Benin’s got a coolly hip vocal, with a bit of hush and sugar and an undercurrent of big booming power. She can bend notes with a bass, talk serenade with a piano and steam the kettle from the drums”.
Ran Pacifica Tribune
San Francisco Bay Area vocalist, Rhonda Benin has earned a reputation for not just a good voice but showmanship, magnetic stage personality, humor, and of course her great dancing. Rhonda’s impressive resume includes performances at SF Jazz, Yoshi’s, MOAD, The Healdsburg, Sonoma, Burlingame, Sausalito, Filmore, and Calistoga Jazz Festivals. In the summer of 2012 Rhonda traveled to Hangzhou, China for a 3 month engagement at the JZ Jazz Club and was 2014 USA headliner for The Kigali Up Music Festival in Kigali, Rwanda. In addition to singing, Rhonda is producer and founder of the Women’s History Month’s show “Just Like A Woman” a tribute to Bay Area Women In Music and the entertaining, informative piece, “Jazz Ain’t Nothing But The Blues”.
Benin is a 22 year member of The GRAMMY nominated vocal ensemble Linda Tillery and The Cultural Heritage. She appears on the CHC’s 7 Cd’s and has toured 30 countries performing and recording with legendary artists such as Taj Mahal, Wilson Pickett, Richie Havens, Odetta. Al Green, Keb Mo, Santana, Patti Austin, Janis Ian, Jackson Brown, Hugh Masekela & Sweet Honey In The Rock.
In 2006 Rhonda produced her first solo CD, A Matter of the Heart a classic mix of jazz, blues, and soul and is currently working on her 2nd CD.
Rhonda is on the teaching staff of Healdsburg Jazz ‘s Operation Jazz Band, San Francisco Arts Project, LEAP, Cal Performances, Youth In Arts and conducts her own school assemblies and workshops, “The Voice, The Hands The Feet” “Twist and Shout” and “Love Letters Make Me Misty Blue”.
“If you can’t sing a song, let BeninSing It!”
I am influenced by many genres of music. Jazz, Blues, Soul, Rhythm and Blues, Big Band, Standards, Show Tunes, African American Roots and Folk Music and Pop. I am greatly influenced by the works of Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye as its the music I grew up on. I ventured into Jazz in my 30'S have spent the time studying the music of Louis Armstrong, the many jazz vocalists like Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, have all had a huge effect on my work.
Jazz Singer
