WITH ROBIN BARNES, MUSIC IS INGRAINED INTO THE VERY FABRIC OF HER BEING; IT’S IN HER BLOOD.
A Crescent City native from the famed Lower Ninth Ward, Robin Barnes is New Orleans. Barnes, declared “The Songbird of New Orleans,” in an official proclamation by a past New Orleans mayor, has throughout her career brought the sounds of the city to a global audience.
Barnes first broke through in the jazz world: her 2016 EP Songbird Sessions debuted at #5 on Billboard’s Traditional Jazz Chart. She’s opened for GRAMMY-winning trumpeter Chris Botti and the jazz duo Alfredo Rodriguez and Pedrito Maratinez, the former of whom studied under the iconic Quincy Jones.
More recently, Barnes has broadened her sound to incorporate more of the musical DNA of Louisiana, spanning funk and bounce and zydeco. In the last two years, she’s performed on episodes of “Queer As Folk” and “Daisy Jones & The Six.” This May, Barnes will perform at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and already in 2025 she's covered New Orleans' St. Charles Avenue magazine and was featured in the Louisiana cultural magazine Country Roads.
Looking ahead, Barnes is at work on her debut album that will honor her native Louisiana roots, spanning the diverse genres native to the state’s culture. Last year, the Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana certified her as a “Louisiana State Ambassador,” a title she shares with GRAMMY winners Lainey Wilson and Lauren Daigle.
Barnes’ New Orleans identity runs deep: after suffering a health scare following a summer tour, she created “Move Ya Brass,” a fitness community and lifestyle group drawing on the city’s own culture to inspire physical movement. The organization’s “Twerk Ya Brass” class debuted at Bonnaroo in 2019 and continues to be a favorite among NOLA locals and visitors alike.
Born To Sing
“Growing up, all the children at my church were encouraged to join choir,” says Robin. “The first mass after my mom made me join (yes, she made me), I was given a solo in ‘Ave Maria.’ I closed my eyes and sung my heart out and when I opened them, I only looked at my mother. She was crying along with the rest of the congregation. That’s when I realized how moving music was, and that I wanted to sing for the rest of my life.”
“Some people were born to sing! That couldn’t be more true for Robin Barnes. There’s a reason why she’s called ‘The Songbird of New Orleans.’ With her career taking off, the world is her stage.”
As Robin got older and mainstream music began to take hold, she began to marry the old and the new to create her own unique blend of funky jazz, soul and R&B. By captivating audiences with her renditions of popular songs and contemporary classics, she makes each song her own.
She’s appeared on Bravo, ESPN, BET, NCIS and more. She was named one of 2021's Most Influential New Orleanians by Adore Magazine, and she has also been featured in publications like The New York Times, Forbes, Southwest Magazine, Travel & Leisure, Marie Claire and Southern Living.
In addition to being an award-winning music artist, she’s also a voiceover actor, media host, one of the city of New Orleans’ biggest ambassadors and influencers, and has been featured in the press for the fitness movement she founded, Move Ya Brass. She proudly carries the official distinction of the “Songbird of New Orleans.”