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Naima Shamborguer - Biography

2020 Kresge Film and Music Fellow, Jazz Song Stylist, Composer, Workshop Presenter
Website: naimashamborguer.com  
Cell (313) 918-8621   Home (313) 863-7168              
naimashamborguer123456@gmail.com 
 
Naima Shamborguer was born and raised in Detroit Michigan. Naima developed highly artistic and finely polished vocal abilities through extensive training in classical and jazz music. A Motown treasure, Naima wet her feet performing with the Jimmy Wilkins Jazz orchestra, the Teddy Harris Jr. New Breed Bebop Society, the Harlem Renaissance Jazz Orchestra and many of the Detroit Montreux Jazz festivals. Subsequent years brought recordings and performance opportunities with Freddie Hubbard, Marcus Belgrave, James Carter, Geri Allen, Kenny Burrell, Barry Harris, Donald Byrd, Bob Hurst,
George Davidson, Eddie Russ, Steve Turre, Steve Davis, Larry Willis, Rodney Whitaker, Donald Walden, Marion Hayden, Wendell Harrison, Ken Cox, Charlie Gabriel, Sean Dobbins, Tad Weed, Kurt Krhanke and Rayse Biggs, Ian Finkelstein, Pam Wise, Rafeal Stantin Naima hosted the first vocal jazz workshop at the Detroit Montreux Jazz Festival (now Detroit Jazz Festival) and continues to​ ​conduct vocal workshops using breathing techniques and group participation to better connect the singers and aficionados to the jazz music they love. Naima has also created ​the stage show ​Me and Sarah​ ​performed at the Charles H. Wright African Museum in Detroit, Michigan​. And  The city council of Detroit has honored Naima on two occasions with the Spirit of Detroit Award in recognition of exceptional achievement and outstanding leadership. Naima is also the proud recipient of a 2019 Knight Arts Challenge award, Sister Strings project.
 
Giving back to the community:  Naima received encouragement from many jazz greats during her formative years and she has never forgotten that this tradition of mentorship must be carried on. Naima produced​ Lifetime: Detroit Young Jazz Giants Tribute to Geri Allen ​ on her independent label, Shambones Music. This CD was created to honor the late Geri Allen and to mentor these young Detroit musicians Benny Rubin Jr, Tariq Gardner, Jeffrey Trent, Trunino Lowe, Betty Alexandria Pride, Ian Finkelstein, Louis M. Jones III, Alexis Lombre and Jonathan Muir-Cotton. Naima helped these young musicians to understand the importance of creating a great musical product from the ins and outs of rehearsal and the best use
of studio time to the final CD release party.  Naima’s Newest recording “NAIMA” released April 2022.                                                                        
         
“One of Detroit’s most gifted singers, Naima Shamborguer ups the ante...​with her dark, rich voice and pinpoint pitch. Naima brings a nuance of a natural storyteller and relaxed time-feel of a true musician.‘’ Mark Stryker, Music Critic Detroit Free Press
 
 Most recent performances include:
 
"Jazz From the Cellar" with the Pick and Roll Band
Steve Turre, 2015 Detroit Jazz Festival “Tribute to Rahssan Roland Kirk” with James Carter
Tribute to Barry Harris, St. Matthew Episcopal Church Detroit Michigan, Detroit Michigan
The Mary Lou Williams Mass with Geri Allen, George Shirley and the Brazeal Dennard Chorale, Detroit Michigan
From Cass Corridor to The World: Tribute to Detroit’s Musical Golden age
MLK Day, Directed by Geri Allen, Hill Auditorium, University of Michigan
Kerry Town Jazz Series with Bob Hurst Sean Dobbins, Sven Anderson, Vincent Bowen
“Swinging With Ella” with the Adrian Michigan Jazz Orchestra and John Thomas Dodson Director
Jazzy Christmas with the Michigan State University Professors of Jazz
Preservation Hall Jazz Orchestra, New Orleans
Detroit Institute of Arts: Tribute to Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon and Sarah Vaughan
Eubie Blake Jazz Museum Baltimore Maryland, with Larry Willis, Steve Davis
 
Shambones Music was formed in 1995 and to date has produced:
Naima's Moods, 1995
A Blossom Sings,
2002
From My Heart to Yours,
2005
Round Midnight, 2011
Pair-A-Dice, 2014 duo with Marion Hayden
Lifetime Detroit, young jazz giants tribute to Geri Allen, 2018
Naima, 2022

A jazz virtuoso, Naima continues to conduct vocal workshops for aspiring musicians and aficionados

Click here to purchase Naima's CDs at http://www.cdbaby.com/NaimaShamborguer

​“One of Detroit’s most gifted singers, Naima Shamborguer, ups the ante on this often magical collection of ballads with her dark richly voice and pinpoint pitch. Naima brings a nuance of a natural storyteller and relaxed time-feel of a true musician."
–Mark Stryker, Music Critic Detroit Free Press.

 
“Naima is not just a singer, she is an artist. She carries forth with the tradition of the great ladies of singing in jazz”
–Steve Turre

 
“It is a no-brainer to record and arrange music for Naima Shamborguer that suited her pure, almost operatic voice. “
–Larry Willis, Pianist, Composer, Arranger

 
“One of the women rated best in the hierarchy of jazz…”
–Dayton Daily News, The Journal Herald


“An extraordinary talent Naima gives us tunes that are downright swinging. Before you know it, she has us listening, liking and waiting to hear the ballads, because she sings the ballads so well.”
–Ed Love-WDET-FM-Detroit 

“Just because we Detroiters in the know are proud of our own is no reason to keep a talent like Naima Shamborguer to ourselves. Naima is constantly reaching for something new when she sings. She deserves to reach listeners far and wide. Those listeners deserve her too.”
–W. Kim Heron, Web & Foundations Writer, the Kresge Foundation

​“The CD will bring you joy forever”
–Linda Yohm-WEMU - Ypsilanti MI

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