MAJA JAKU

Maja Jakupović, known artistically as Maja Jaku, is an acclaimed jazz and soul vocalist, composer, and respected university professor whose voice and artistry transcend cultural and musical boundaries. Born on October 24 in Kosovo into a family rich in artistic tradition, her extraordinary talent revealed itself early—by the age of seven, Maja was winning music festival awards, and by fourteen, she had already formed her first band. At eighteen, in the Yugoslav wars, she made a courageous and defining choice: to travel alone to Austria to pursue her dream of studying jazz. In 1991, Maja passed the fiercely competitive entrance exam for the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, where she studied under legendary jazz vocalists including Sheila Jordan, Mark Murphy, Andy Bey, and Jay Clayton. These formative years shaped her singular style—a sound rooted in deep emotional honesty, fearless improvisation, and technical brilliance. Between 1991 and 1999, Maja toured read more...