Born July 3, 1971, in
Santiago and raised in
Concepcion, she was inspired as a child to perform a variety of music, including folk, pop and opera, by
Victor Jara and
Violeta Parra. Her attention turned to American popular music and jazz at the age of 15, when she first heard
Frank Sinatra,
Erroll Garner and
Sarah Vaughan. Returning to Santiago in 1991, she quickly gained prominence on the local jazz scene through live performances and radio broadcasts with visiting artists. In 1995, Acuña moved to New York City and began performing at jam sessions and clubs including the Zinc Bar and Smalls. She also performed with her own band at the famous Jazz Gallery. Among the many musical associates she met in this period was pianist/composer
Jason Lindner, who became and has remained her
musical director. Her debut album,
Wind from the South, was released in 1999 on
Verve Records, followed by
Rhythm of Life in 2001 and
Luna in 2004. Acuña's first recording on the
Marsalis Music label,
En Este Momento, was released in 2009. She has also been featured on various recordings with
Peck Allmond,
George Benson,
Joey Calderazzo,
Avishai Cohen,
Mark Elf,
Tom Harrell,
Antonio Hart,
Arturo O'Farrill and
Guillermo Klein. Acuña has been named co-curator of a Chilean music festival that took place in January 2009. She is also the spokesperson for World Vision Chile, an international Christian relief and development organization that specializes in child-focused development programs. One of Acuña's covers of the
Antonio Carlos Jobim song "Suddenly" was featured on the original motion picture soundtrack from Verve Records for the movie
Bossa Nova.{{cite web ==Discography==