Iya Tulani Kinard

Tulani Kinard is a Grammy-nominated vocalist, author, cultural custodian, and public servant whose life’s work unites music, spirituality, justice, and enterprise. Her artistic journey began at age three, singing in Emmanuel Temple Pentecostal Church in Boston, where her grandfather, Bishop Percival Jordan, pastored. Even as a child, her voice carried spiritual depth, foreshadowing a life of purpose and sacred leadership.

As a student in Boston’s METCO Program—a pioneering desegregation initiative—Tulani was taught by renowned educator Jonathan Kozol, who invited her to testify before a U.S. Senate committee about racial inequities in public schools.

Tulani received a Grammy nomination as a member of the legendary vocal ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock. Known for channeling ancestral memory and divine truth through her voice, she was described by The New York Times as “the astonishing Tulani Kinard.” She has served on the faculty at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and the Omega Institute, directed music for Iyanla Vanzant, led her own ensemble, and composed original musical theatre works. Her artistry blends jazz, gospel, neo-soul, calypso, African chant, and R&B with sacred storytelling.

An initiated Priest of Sango, Iyanifa, and ordained Interfaith minister, Tulani has provided spiritual counsel for over 35 years, integrating Yoruba cosmology with metaphysical wisdom. A visionary in economic justice, she authored No Lye: The African American Woman’s Guide to Natural Hair Care and helped craft legislation for the first U.S. Natural Hair Care License—transforming a grassroots tradition into a national economic movement.