Specializing in jazz, soul, and r&b, Katia is a gifted vocalist with a passion for bringing energy and soul to her performance. She brings emotional authenticity to every song, and strives to bring people together through the universal experience of music. Her influences include Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Carole King and Eva Cassidy, to name a few. She is currently performing across the Twin Cities, under her own name, with some of this town's top jazz and r&b instrumentalists. 

Growing up

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Katia grew up in a musical family. Her mother, Janis Kelly, is an accomplished vocalist, who sang with Maurice White and the Emotions, and opened for Rufus & Chaka Khan, Tower of Power and Carole King. Her father, Mark Cardenas, is a professional keyboardist, and a Platinum and Gold recording artist, whose credits include Prince, Morris Day and the Time, Janet Jackson, and The Song Catchers (featuring Charles Neville). From an early age, she was raised on a strict diet of funk, soul, and r&b. She received a Waldorf education, which taught her a deep appreciation for the arts, and a passion for singing. In junior high, her family relocated to Sacramento, California, where she sang in jazz and show choirs, and developed a passion for musical theater.

Music Education through Life

At 16, she attended the Visual and Performing Arts Charter School, where she became deeply involved in music, theatre, and dance. At 17, she sang back-up vocals in her mother's band, The Groove Ambassadors. In addition to gigging regularly in clubs throughout Sacramento, The Groove Ambassadors gained critical acclaim, performing at such distinguished events as  Gov. Schwarzenegger's Inauguration, and the City-wide Day of Service honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She also sang regularly at the Christ Unity Church, as a guest soloist and a member of the house band. 

Desiring a change of scenery, Katia moved to the St. Paul, MN in 2006 to attend Macalester College. She joined The Sirens, an all-female a cappella group on campus, in which she was a featured soloist, arranger and vocal percussionist. Throughout college, she performed regularly at on-campus events, and won first place in the "Macalester Idol," college-wide singing competition in her senior year.  She also sang with student combos, including It's a Trap, a rock and blues quartet featuring guitarist Max Kulicke (of the Twin Cities' acclaimed Carroll). She also joined Late Night Menu, a co-ed a cappella group led by award-winning vocal percussionist, Andrew Berkowitz (Six Appeal).

Katia graduated with a major in Psychology, and a minor in Theatre, and pursued a career as an actor and theatre arts educator.  She co-composed and directed "Zombie High School," an a cappella musical with Late Night Menu for the 2010 MN Fringe Festival, which was named "Best Musical" by FringeFamous.com. Katia was also the group's featured soloist in their audition for NBC's "The Sing-off."  After the group disbanded in 2011, she performed occasionally, while also singing for special events "back home" in Sacramento, CA, as well as in Boulder, CO, and Seattle, WA.

By spring 2013, Katia realized how little music was in her life, and decided to make a change--and pursue her dream of singing professionally. She recorded her demo at Microbus Studios with her father at his Seattle, WA. She also began doing studio work with Organica Productions and Essential Sessions Studios. She joined the Twin Cities Cabaret Artists Network (TCCAN; Marketing Committee Lead; performing member), a cabaret performance group dedicated to honoring the age-old art of storytelling through song. She also performed out-of-state with Red Dog Zen (Seattle, WA), and Global Soul Experience (Boulder, CO).

Performing Life

Katia began hosting the Vocalist Night at Jazz Central Studios in 2014, which was created to spotlight established singers, as well as up-and-coming vocalists from the Twin Cities. There she met and learned from local jazz greats, and soon began gigging around town. After just a year of performing, Katia was invited to perform at the world-renowned Dakota Jazz Club in late 2014, where she appeared regularly throughout 2015, and was later invited to perform for the grand opening of Vieux Carré (formerly The Artist Quarter). Katia released “A Seed,” a single with local hip-hop artist, SEE MORE PERSPECTIVE, and developed tribute shows to honoring her idols Ella Fitzgerald and Carole King

In 2016, Katia recorded and released her debut EP, "I'll Be Seeing You," a seven track EP recorded at Ant Recording Studios, mixed by Wondertone Productions. The CD is available for download on iTunes and Amazon Music, or you can stream it on Spotify, Apple Music, YoutubeMusic and more! Her CD Release Show at The Icehouse featured Jazzoneando, a touring Latin jazz combo from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, in a warm up to their MainStage performance at The 2016 Twin Cities Jazz Festival. That summer, she co-curated and performed in the inaugural "Singer's Scat-Off" at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, which featured 5 other local vocalists, including Jason Peterson DeLaire. She also joined Casablanca Orchestra, a nationally renowned touring show band, “Capone & Friends” Soul & R&B show led by Jeep Capone, and formed Jazz Alley, a vocalist-led jazz group with Maryann Sullivan and Sarah Greer.  She capped the year off with a holiday show with jazz vocalist and friend Sheridan Zuther, and national touring cabaret chanteuse Nichole Carey.

In 2017, Katia took the Main Stage of the 2017 Twin Cities Jazz Fest with a full 8-piece band, including back-up singers: Sheridan Zuther and Andrina Brogden. She also began filming a music video for her single of the Harry Warren jazz standard “There Will Never Be Another You” in her hometown of Everett, WA.

In 2018, Katia joined the Funk and R&B band Sonically Speaking, and appeared as a guest artist with David LeDuc (Enemy Planes) in cover band, The MTVS, and original Indie-rock band, Phantom Heart. After completing her video shoot at Jazz Central Studios, she released the official music video for “There Will Never Be Another You,” which was featured on The Currents’ “Friday Five.”

Touring in México

That fall, Katia embarked on her first ever international tour to San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato in the Bajio region of central México. Her “Tour del Bajio” was a partnership with Jazzoneando, produced by AAA Productions, and included performance with the latin jazz combo across the state of Guanajuato and Querétaro, including a show with a full 10-piece band at the historic Teatro Ángela Peralta in downtown San Miguel de Allende. Katia’s father, Mark Cardenas, also appeared as a special guest artist.

Healing and Reflection

Throughout 2019-2020, Katia took a partial hiatus to focus on her vocal health, while performing occasionally at jam sessions and special events across the Twin Cities. In the early months of the COVID-19 Pandemic, she focused her creative energy on writing original music.

In June 2020, George Floyd was horrifically murdered by police in Minneapolis, resulting in a world-wide uprising against systemic racism and police brutality, Katia worked with Pangea World Theater on curating a creative response to these events. She collaborated with Andrina Brogden and Sarah M. Greer to devise a cabaret piece called “The Burning Truth Project.” With accompanist Kavyesh Kaviraj, they performed this piece live before a socially-distant audience in August and September in backyards of friends in South Minneapolis. A full video of the first performance was later live-streamed on Pangea World Theater’s Facebook page to an international audience, followed by a talkback with the artists, moderated by Pangea’s Co-Artistic Director, Meena Natarajan. In 2021, this project was awarded a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council to be adapted and performed again.

Community Connections

Katia is passionate about creating community and equity in the arts and has engaged with numerous local artist networks including Jazz Central Studios, Twin Cities Cabaret Artists Network (TCCAN), and Minnesota Music Coalition. In 2021, she was named the first Executive Director of Minnesota Jazz Education (formerly Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education), where she works to uphold the important mission of providing quality jazz education opportunities to all Minnesota youth. As an actor and arts administrator, she also works with local theater companies Teatro Del Pueblo, Pangea World Theater, TigerLion Arts and Minnesota Jewish Theater.

The people she’s met through the Twin Cities arts and music community are a huge part of where she is today; they are a constant inspiration, and reminder to pursue her dreams.

Let’s get to work!

Katia Cardenas is currently available for booking clubs, weddings, private events, festivals and special appearances.  Katia periodically posts new videos and tracks on Youtube or Soundcloud, and sends out newsletters about upcoming events, and posts regularly on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Subscribe to Katia's e-newsletter (below), and follow her on social media!