Judi Singh

{{Infobox person

| name = Judi Singh

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1945|05|09}}

| birth_place = Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|07|18|1945|05|09}}

| death_place = Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

| occupation = Singer, musician

}}

Judi Singh (May 9, 1945 – July 18, 2021), sometimes spelled Judy Singh, was a Canadian jazz musician based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.{{cite web |last1=Jeffrey |first1=Andrew |title='Why did Edmonton forget Judi Singh?' Researcher uncovers story of jazz music and Alberta's roots |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/why-did-edmonton-forget-judi-singh-researcher-uncovers-story-of-jazz-music-and-alberta-s-roots-1.5919663 |website=CBC News |access-date=February 6, 2024}} She was born to Indian and Black parents, making her a biracial person.

Early life and family

File:Effie Jones & Sohan Singh Bhullar holding Ellen.jpg

Judi was one of seven children born to Sohan Singh Bhullar and Effie Jones. Her father was a Punjabi Sikh who moved to Canada from India in 1907, becoming one of the first Indo-Canadians in Alberta; a park in Edmonton's Mill Woods neighbourhood is named in his honour.{{cite web |last1=Edmonton |first1=City of |title=Pick-a-Park with City Council |url=https://transforming.edmonton.ca/pick-a-park-with-city-council/ |website=Transforming Edmonton |access-date=February 6, 2024 |date=September 25, 2023}} Her mother's family were among the earliest Black families to settle in Alberta, helping to found the historic settlement of Amber Valley.{{cite web |title=Judi Singh: A Black & South Asian musician from 1950s–70s Edmonton |url=https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2021/02/19/judi-singh-a-black-south-asian-musician-from-1950s-70s-edmonton/ |website=Edmonton City as Museum Project ECAMP |access-date=February 6, 2024 |date=February 19, 2021}} South Asian and Black marriages were not uncommon at the time as both groups faced marginalization. Both communities worshipped and socialized together at Edmonton's sole black church, Shiloh Baptist Church.

Singh grew up listening to gospel, blues, jazz, and Indian music in her family home near the University of Alberta campus. Her father played the bansuri, a traditional Indian bamboo flute.

Singing career and later life

Judi Singh began singing at Edmonton's famed Yardbird Suite at the age of 17.{{cite web |title=Singh, Judy |url=https://citizenfreak.com/artists/103035-singh-judy |website=Museum of Canadian Music |access-date=February 6, 2024}} She played to sold-out crowds at the venue throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

In the mid-1960s, she moved to Winnipeg to work with the CBC. In Winnipeg, she met her partner Lenny Breau, who was later inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.{{cite web |last1=Volmers |first1=Eric |title=Calgary filmmaker Emily Hughes explores her father's life, legacy and murder in The Genius of Lenny Breau Remembered |url=https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/movies/calgary-filmmaker-emily-hughes-explores-her-fathers-life-legacy-and-murder-in-the-genius-of-lenny-breau-remembered |website=Calgary Herald |access-date=February 6, 2024}} They eventually moved to Toronto with hopes of making it big in the city's music scene. However, the relationship disintegrated as Breau was often absent and dealing with addiction issues, leaving Singh to take care of their daughter on her own.

In 1970, Singh moved back to Edmonton with her daughter Emily, and recorded the album A Time for Love with Tommy Banks. Today, this album is considered one of the greatest Canadian vocal jazz records by collectors.{{cite web |title=Singh, Judy – A Time For Love |url=https://citizenfreak.com/titles/300644-singh-judy-a-time-for-love |website=Museum of Canadian Music |access-date=February 7, 2024}}

She sang and composed several songs on Woody Shaw's 1978 album Rosewood which received two Grammy Award nominations for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance (Soloist) and Best Jazz Instrumental Performance (Group). She also contributed vocals to Shaw's 1980 album, For Sure!.{{cite web |title=Woody Shaw - For Sure! Album Reviews, Songs & More {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/for-sure%21-mw0000950895 |website=allmusic.com |access-date=February 9, 2024 |language=en}}

She spent her later years living a private life in Victoria, BC, dying on July 18, 2021.{{cite web |title=Remembering the life of Judi Singh-Hughes |url=https://edmontonjournal.remembering.ca/obituary/judi-singh-hughes-1082870747 |website=edmontonjournal.remembering.ca |access-date=February 6, 2024 |language=en}}

In 2025 she was the subject of Baljit Sangra's documentary film Have You Heard Judi Singh?Leah Collins, [https://www.cbc.ca/arts/re-introducing-judi-singh-new-doc-tells-the-very-canadian-story-of-a-black-punjabi-jazz-sensation-1.7523931 "Re-introducing Judi Singh. New doc tells the very Canadian story of a Black-Punjabi jazz sensation"]. CBC Arts, May 1, 2025.