Genre-bending singer and songwriter Kela Parker has been noted for her sharp musicianship and imaginative artistry. Like her chords that always find an unexpected resolution, Parker followed her own path to arrive at her distinct sound.
Originally from the East Bay, Parker began crafting her enigmatic blend of art and pop music in Portland, Oregon. Alongside giving music lessons in her studio shed on Salmon Street, Parker got her start playing historic venues such as the Old Church and Rimsky’s Korsakoffee House. After opening for Madeleine Peyroux at the Aladdin Theatre, she has since played across the United States, from Seattle’s Royal Room to the Viper Room in Los Angeles to New York’s Rockwood Music Hall.
Parker has released three albums, including 2018’s ‘The Dreamer & The Dream,’ produced by Grammy-winning engineer Rocky Gallo (Norah Jones, John Legend). Hailed by BuzzMusicLA as a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and singer with a “prepossessing voice,” her latest album of fourteen original songs is intoxicating from beginning to end. Now living in Los Angeles, Parker is an advocate for socioeconomic justice and makes music with people experiencing homelessness on Skid Row with Urban Voices Project, and is working on her fourth album.