Kelela Mizanekristos (Amharic: ከለላ ሚዛነክርስቶስ, käläla mizanäkərəsətosə; born June 4, 1983) is an American singer. A second-generation Ethiopian American and an only child, Mizanekristos was born in Washington, D.C., on June 4, 1983. Growing up in Gaithersburg, Maryland, she learned to play the violin in fourth grade and sang in her school's choir. In 2001, she graduated from Magruder High School. After transferring from Montgomery College to the American University, Mizanekristos began singing jazz standards at cafés. In 2008, she joined an indie band called Dizzy Spells and sang progressive metal after meeting Tosin Abasi, whom she later dated.