Robin Barnes was born and raised in New Orleans, growing up around a family of musicians and coming from gospel and jazz roots. She started singing at age six in her church choir, and after a solo performance of "Ave Maria," decided definitively that she wanted to be a singer. Barnes holds a bachelor's degree and began her professional career with her 2013 debut EP, Me, gradually building the brand recognition that would carry her career forward.
That branding led to headlining residencies at two of New Orleans' most storied luxury hotels: first the Windsor Court, and three months later the grand re-opening of the Hotel Monteleone following its expansion. During her Windsor Court residency, Barnes performed for audiences that included Rod Stewart, Herbie Hancock, and Marcus Miller. Her 2016 EP, Songbird Sessions, debuted at #5 on Billboard's Traditional Jazz Albums chart, and the same year she was named "Favorite New Orleans Musician" by New Orleans Magazine.
Barnes and her band, The Fiya Birds, have since become a staple at Jazz Fest and French Quarter Festival, and have performed at some of the world's most acclaimed venues, including London's Royal Opera House. Her sound has evolved into a distinctive blend of jazz, funk, and soul that critics describe as Chaka Khan meeting Ella Fitzgerald, showcased on singles including "You Give Me" (2019) and the holiday anthem "Celebrate Around the World" (2017). She has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Marie Claire, and Travel & Leisure, sang the national anthem at the 2019 Sugar Bowl, and performed at the MTV India Music Summit in Jaipur. In 2013, after a rare infection sustained during her first European tour left her right kidney permanently damaged and required her to use a cane during recovery, Barnes founded Move Ya Brass, an accessible fitness program born from her own struggle to find one. Gambit named Barnes and The Fiya Birds Best Local Artist/Band of 2024, and she also performs alongside her husband, bassist Pat Casey, as the soulful R&B duo Da Lovebirds.
