Description
Born in Rwanda, raised in Belgium, based in London, Ineza is a true jazz vocalist with a remarkably distinct voice, with impeccably articulated vocals, she moves effortlessly between contemporary jazz and soul, blending elegant sophistication with raw vocal power. As a composer, she brings her own artistry to the genre, fusing jazz's inventive freedom with the depth and richness of soul. Her versatile approach to singing has led to high-profile performances that include touring with Tom Odell and contributing to the BBC2 documentary, Silverback alongside her highly acclaimed 2024 collaboration with Alex Webb and The Copasetics on Women's Words, Sisters' Stories, which earned praise for her emotional connection to the lyrics. Her two original EPs further establish her as a commanding, expressive artist and one of the UK's brightest rising stars.
Ibuka is Ineza's debut album as a leader. Meaning 'remember' in Kinyarwanda (the national language of Rwanda), its title encapsulates the spirit of the album. It tells Ineza's personal story through a collection of eight songs.
Ineza was born in Rwanda to her young, catholic mother whose unexpected pregnancy caused a huge scandal. Unwittingly and under pressure, she gave her 6-month-old child to an orphanage. By the age of 10 months, Ineza was adopted into a Belgian family (shortly after, the 1994 Rwandan genocide would begin, so she was one of the last children to be adopted into Europe). Her birth mother had named her 'Ineza', meaning 'goodness' in Kinyarwanda. As Ineza contemplates, "Something goodcame out of a bad situation." Ineza knew little about her biological family, and although her birth mother reached out when she was 17, it was the passing of her adoptive mother two years later that marked a turning point. In the difficult period that followed, Ineza discovered jazz - "learning the art of singing,' she says, "helped meimmensely with learning to live without her." Ibuka is a love note to my adoptive mother, Francine Declercq, whom I loved very much - a meditation on memory, heritage, and the echoes of yesterdays."
Ineza: vocals
Michael Lack: alto saxophone
Rob Brockway: piano
Ben Crane: double bass
Kuba Miazga: drums
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