Scripture for the Soul: a response by Dionne Victoria
Image captured by Jeremiah Olatunde
Keya Trammell performed at City Winery Chicago on June 9, 2025
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Keya Trammell transformed the City Winery stage into a sanctuary of soul, storytelling, and self-liberation. With a nine-piece band behind her—including a bassist who could walk the bassline straight to the moon—Keya did far more than sing. She created a full-bodied experience of healing, freedom, and homage.
Opening with her own sultry, jazz-kissed interpretation of Jill Scott’s classics, Keya brought new textures to familiar melodies. Her take was neither imitation nor cover—it was a resurrection of spirit. Her voice, rich and fearless, seamlessly moved from buttery tones to soul-piercing scats, earning her rightful title as the Scat Queen. Paying tribute to Erykah Badu’s “On & On,” Keya summoned the ancestral feminine with a deep, hypnotic groove, while weaving her own percussive touches and vocal riffs that turned her voice into an instrument in itself.
Keya doesn’t just perform—she proclaims. During the show, she shared the vulnerable moment of reclaiming her dignity by shaving her head for the first time. As an advocate for alopecia and a champion of self-love, she told the crowd how that moment set her free. It was a powerful testimony wrapped in melody—a sermon without a pulpit.
One of the most unexpected and electric moments came during her tribute to Patti LaBelle, which she flipped with a rap interlude—yes, rap—showing she’s not bound by genre, only by truth. Her music is intergenerational and unapologetically hers. She fused jazz, soul, and hip-hop with an autobiographical flair, telling her story through poetry and lived experience.
And just when the audience thought the show had reached its peak, Keya introduced a family moment that stunned and moved the crowd: a verse by her family, which included father, Dr. Trammell, recorded and shared during the intercession of the performance. The generational blessing didn’t stop there—she also honored her mother through a vibrant mix of contemporary bangers and classic hits, including a heartfelt nod to Victoria Monét’s “On My Mama.”
But this wasn’t just a concert—it was church. Keya Trammell listens to God, and on that City Winery stage, she spoke back. Through music, movement, and message, she reminded us all that dignity, dreams, and divine alignment are worth fighting for.
Keya Trammell isn’t just singing songs—she’s writing scripture for the soul.
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Dionne Victoria is a Chicago visual and performing artist who has exhibited in the United States Congress and the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. She has researched the effects of using art to teach science while teaching at Art In Motion and currently holds the chair as President of the Healing Academy. Her art is a commentary on black people in history, the love we share and how we have contributed to life. Her most recent endeavor is the grand opening of the Art Center of Englewood, where artists with families are welcomed to create their dreams.
