Kwanza Jones is an American artist, investor, entrepreneur and philanthropist. She was born in Los Angeles, California. Jones started her singing career after performing and winning Amateur Night at the

Apollo Theater The Apollo Theater (formerly the Hurtig & Seamon's New Theatre; also Apollo Theatre or 125th Street Apollo Theatre) is a multi-use Theater (structure), theater at 253 125th Street (Manhattan), West 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of U ...

while in college at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

. Her philanthropy, investments and artistry focus on empowerment, education, equity and entrepreneurship.

Biography

Jones was born in Los Angeles, California on

Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Germany. It is also observed in the Australian territory ...

. In her youth, she played the flute, violin, and piano, as well as sang in choirs at school and church; she also ran

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

throughout high school and college. In addition to her arts and athletics, Jones served on the D.C. State Board of Education as an elected Student Member. Her paternal great-grandmother played piano for famous blues singer

Bessie Smith Bessie Smith (April 15, 1892 – September 26, 1937) was an African-American blues singer widely renowned during the Jazz Age. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Empress of the Blues" and formerly Queen of the Blues, she was t ...

. Jones attended

, in

Princeton, New Jersey The Municipality of Princeton is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey, Borough of Princeton and Pri ...

. Her focus was interdisciplinary as she majored in Public and International Affairs at the

Princeton School of Public and International Affairs The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (''abbrev.'' SPIA; formerly the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs) is a professional public policy school at Princeton University. The school provides an array of co ...

. While there she was in an

a cappella Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...

group, a soloist in the

gospel choir Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music vary according to culture and social context. Gospel music is compos ...

, and in an

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...

band. She had a chance meeting with music legend

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...

which piqued her interest in music as a profession. After graduating from Princeton, Jones was Miss Baltimore. She has a J.D. degree from

Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law The Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law is the law school of Yeshiva University in New York City. Founded in 1976 and now located on Fifth Avenue near Union Square in Lower Manhattan, the school is named for Supreme Court Justice Benjamin N. Cardo ...

and a Master of Dispute Resolution from

Pepperdine University School of Law The Pepperdine University School of Law (officially the Pepperdine University Rick J. Caruso School of Law) is the law school of Pepperdine University, a private research university in Los Angeles County, California. The school offers the Juri ...

Music career

Jones started her singing career after performing and winning Amateur Night at the

while in college at

. Her debut album, ''Naked'', was conceived while she was attending

. At this time, she played a lot in bars and other small venues. Her biggest performance during this time was at the World Famous

in New York. When she graduated she decided to travel a little and wrote her second album ''Naked 2: universal fire''. Along with original material, this album also featured two

cover songs In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song released ...

The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, comprising vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and controversial rock acts ...

' " Light My Fire" and

Ashford & Simpson Ashford & Simpson were an American husband-and-wife songwriting, production and recording duo composed of Nickolas Ashford (May 4, 1941 – August 22, 2011) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946). Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carol ...

's "

Ain't No Mountain High Enough "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is a song written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966 for the Tamla label, a division of Motown. The composition was first successful as a 1967 hit single recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and ...

". When she arrived back in the US, she moved to Los Angeles to continue her music career. Jones' song "Think Again" earned her first appearance on the

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

charts. She debut at No. 47 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play Charts. In December 2010, it was No. 3 on the Biggest Jump list. In February 2011, it peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard charts. "Think Again – The Remixes" is a Dance project featuring the single, "Think Again" where Kwanza collaborated with

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

nominated American DJ/ producer/

remixer A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...

, Mike Rizzo. Also working with her on this project was

DJ Lynnwood DJ Lynnwood is an American electronic dance music producer, DJ and radio personality. Career DJ Lynnwood's career began in the early 1980s, when he toured the local club scene east of Los Angeles as a youth. In 1983 he landed his first radio gig ...

and Jaime J Sanchez. This project was released on November 26, 2010. All of Jones' music has been release on her

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

label Innovation Entertainment. Jones' most recent studio album, is ''Supercharged''; she has released numerous singles since then.

Philanthropy

Jones is the Co-Founder and CEO of the Kwanza Jones & José E. Feliciano Initiative, a grant making and

impact investment Impact investing refers to investments "made into companies, organizations, and funds with the intention to generate a measurable, beneficial social or environmental impact alongside a financial return". At its core, impact investing is about an a ...

organization. She is also the Founder of SUPERCHARGED by Kwanza Jones, a motivational media company. Jones has served on the board of directors of national organizations like

Susan G. Komen Susan G. Komen (formerly known as Susan G. Komen for the Cure; originally as The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; often referred to simply as Komen) is a breast cancer organization in the United States. Komen works on patient navigation ...

, where she pushed them to diversify both their leadership and their programming. In 2022, Jones donated $30,000 t
WRRAP

PFLAG Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) is an LGBTQ advocacy organization founded and led by friends and family of LGBTQ people. PFLAG is a national organization presiding over decentralized local and regional chapters. PFLAG has nearly ...

, and Girls Inc. following the release of her music video "Queen Moves Only, Mother's Day Mix." These 3 organizations aligned with the mission and message behind the song. In 2021, Jones served on the board of the

. In 2020, Jones announced a $20 million gift to Princeton University to help expand the student body and in support of access and inclusion. In 2020, Jones wrote an Open Love Letter to Princeton to help remove Woodrow Wilson name off buildings. In 2019, Jones announced a donation of $1 million to Bennett College, one of the single largest grants in Bennett College's history. In 2019, Jones joined the board of directors of

, the world's leading breast cancer organization. In 2019, Jones released "Problem," leading up the 2020 elections, a music video style public service announcement that addressed injustice, racial profiling, and issues that impact women and other historically marginalized people. In 2017, Jones responded to the

humanitarian crisis A humanitarian crisis (or sometimes humanitarian disaster) is defined as a singular event or a series of events that are threatening in terms of health, safety or well-being of a community or large group of people. It may be an internal or exter ...

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

after

Hurricane Maria Hurricane Maria was an extremely powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that affected the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, which accounted for 2,975 of the 3,059 deaths. It is the ...

hit the island. She was an anchor sponsor supporting recovery efforts, including resources, relief, and rebuilding. She has also supported the

United Way United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit organization, nonprofit fundraising affiliates. Prior to 2015, United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public. Individual Un ...

as a member of the Tocqueville Society. In 2010, Jones joined artists

Beyoncé Knowles Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most culturally significant figu ...

Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada' Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor; , ; 8 December 1966 – 26 July 2023) was an Irish singer, songwriter, record producer and activist. Her debut studio album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and achieve ...

Halle Berry Halle Maria Berry ( ; born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966) is an American actress. She began her career as a model and entered several beauty contests, finishing as the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant of 1986 and also placing six ...

Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and entrepreneur. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Qu ...

, and others, in support of

Girls Educational and Mentoring Services A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. While the term ''girl'' has other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.com, "Girl"'' Retrieved January 2, 2008. ''daughter'' or ''girlfriend'' regardless of age, ...

' (GEMS) campaign, "Girls Are Not for Sale." This is a national campaign committed to ending the commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking of girls and young women.

Charts and awards

Discography

Tours

* Gladiators "Я” Vicious Tour (2013) * Bring The Heat Tour (2012) * Girls 4 Boys Tour (2011)

References

External links

KwanzaJones.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Kwanza Living people African-American women singer-songwriters American women singer-songwriters American women philanthropists Members of the District of Columbia Board of Education Philanthropists from Washington, D.C. Princeton University alumni Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century African-American women singers 21st-century American women singers Singer-songwriters from Washington, D.C.