Melanie Charles

Melanie Charles is a Brooklyn-born singer-songwriter, actress, and flutist of Haitian descent whose creative fluidity bridges jazz, soul, experimental, and Haitian roots music. Her indie release The Girl with the Green Shoes and the critically acclaimed Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women under Verve Records have positioned her as a trailblazing voice in jazz. Praised by The New York Times and Village Voice, the latter noted, “You can hear her collaging her musical DNA into jazz-studded multi-instrumentalism… there’s an uncanny cohesion to Charles’ music.”

Named a “Vocal Activist” by DownBeat Magazine, Charles blends art and advocacy in her mission to elevate Black American Music. A graduate of The New School with a BFA in Vocal Jazz Performance, she is the founder of Make Jazz Trill Again, a grassroots movement redefining jazz by uniting diverse social classes, cultures, and eras through improvisation, podcasts, events, and activism. Charles’ work challenges boundaries, creating a space where innovation and tradition thrive together.