Living in Montreal since 1977, Lorraine Klaasen was born in Alberton, South Africa. Like her famous mother, Thandi, who has performed in South Africa over the last 35 years, Lorraine is a heat wave jazz singer. She was the recipient in 1997 of the honoured Martin Luther King Award given to individuals who have successfully shared their heritage and whose art works have generated unprecedented awareness of their culture. A regular performer at Montreal’s International Jazz Festival, Lorraine Klaasen is Montreal’s hidden treasure – the African Queen of Jazz whose infectious rhythms bring the spirit of Africa to North America. [Photo, courtesy Lorraine Klaasen]