Tutu Puoane was born in the Republic of South Africa, but has been living in Belgium for several years. The fame of this young jazz-singer is on the rise, with her own quartet as well as and other projects. Song, her first album, was released two years ago and met with acclaim from media and audience alike.

In 2008 the album was released in South Africa, Japan and Thailand. Due to this international success, new lyrics and scores were written for a new, second cd. In April 2009, Tutu went into the studio together with Ewout Pierreux (piano), Nicolas Thys (bass) and Lieven Venken (drums) at Fattoria Musica (Osnabrück, Germany), under the supervision of Chris Weeda, one of the best sound engineers in The Netherlands.

The new album is called Quiet Now, and contains more original repertoire than Tutu's debut. Most of the songs were written by Ewout Pierreux and Nicolas Thys, with lyrics both in English and Sepedi (Tutu's mother tongue). Additionally the quartet recorded three covers by McCoy Tyner, Mark Fransman (great South African pianist and saxophone player) and Joni Mitchell.

Since her first album Tutu’s voice has become stronger and more expressive. Quiet Now is a gem, a mature and very personal statement. The quartet can hardly wait to introduce it to the world.

Artiest: Tutu Puoane Quartet
titel: Quiet now
artikelnummer: S 62607
label: Saphrane Records
releasedatum: 13 july 2009

 

Tutu Puoane

 

Tutu Puoane (born Nontuthuzelo Elaine Puoane) was born in 1979. She started her professional career in Johannesburg (1997). She studied with Jelena Reveshin at the University of Cape Town, where she obtained a Diploma in music performance, and in 2002 she received a 2 year scholarship to study with Rachel Gould at The Hague Conservatory of Music and Dance in The Netherlands. She performed in RSA, Italy, US, Switzerland, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium.

 

Tutu has played a lot with well-known South-African musicians. She performed in New York as a vocalist with the South African National Youth Big Band and in 2001 she played with the Afro/Latino band Tucan Tucan at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Cape Town. In July 2004 she debuted with her European band in South Africa, at the Grahamstown Arts Festival and in 2008 they played one of the most successful concerts on the Cape Town International Jazz Festival.
 
Tutu has worked with the Brussels Jazz Orchestra as a guest vocalist for their project 'Writing Billie', a tribute to Billie Holiday. Because of this successful partnership, the BJO asked her to take part in a cross-over project between jazz and classical music with the Flemish Radio Orchestra and in 2010 she will be featured by the BJO in a program dedicated to the late Miriam Makeba, the legendary South African diva.
 
Tutu has won several prizes in important South African jazz-competitions: the Old Mutual Jazz encounters for Cape Region in 2000, a Merit Award for Young Promising Talent in the Daimler Chrysler South African Jazz Competition (2001) and in 2004 she was the recipient of the Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year Award for Music.
She shared the stage with a.o. Sibongile Khumalo, Marcus Wyatt, Judith Sephuma, Jack van Poll, Hein van de Geyn, Hans van Oosterhout, Dré Pallemaerts, Stacy Rowles, Mark Murphy, Madeline Bell, Georgie Fame, Roy Hargrove, John Engels and Toots Thielemans.

Tutu has recently been appointed as a board member of the Jack van Poll Foundation, which will focus on an exchange study program between young South African musicians and music teachers from the Rotterdam Music Conservatory in The Netherlands.

In 2007 she released her debut Song on Saphrane Records (S 62602), followed in 2009 by Quiet Now (S 62607). Both albums are released in Japan and South Africa, Song is also released in Thailand. An international success for this young and extremely talented singer!
 
Ewout Pierreux
Ewout Pierreux is seen as one of the most promising young talents amongst Belgian jazz pianists. He studied with Ron Van Rossum in Leuven and attended master classes with Brad Mehldau, Bobo Stenson, Kenny Werner, Bruce Barth and Bill Carrothers.
He is a sideman in "t-unit 7" (a project of sax player Tom Van Dyck), plays for the Tuesday Night Orchestra and has his own Trio and Quintet.
Recently Ewout has become more and more active as composer and arranger. Most of the originals on Tutu's new album were written by him.
Ewout played with a.o. Toots Thielemans, Kurt Van Herck, Bart Defoort, Philippe Aerts, Bert Joris, Dr‚ Pallemaerts, Martijn Vink and worked as sideman on several Belgian and international festival stages like the Gent Jazz Festival, Jazz Middelheim, Gaume Jazz, Park Jazz Kortrijk, Brosella, Jazz in 't park Gent, Marktrock Leuven and Mano Mundo in Belgium. Internationally he performed at The Cape Town International Festival (RSA), Cully Jazz Festival (Switzerland) and Grahamstown Arts Festival (RSA).
 
Nicolas Thys
Nicolas Thys graduated in electric bass and double bass at the Conservatorium of Hilversum (The Netherlands) in 1994. After that he took lessons from Dave Holland, Marc Helias and Marc Johnson. In 2000, he moved to New York in search for a new challenge, to return to Belgium in 2007 after realizing several projects. During his career he has received many awards, including the Django d'Or for Best Young Talent in 2001.
Nicolas has played with Rick Hollander, Lee Konitz, Judy Niemack, Bill Carrothers, Bart Van Lier, Toon Roos, the Metropole Orchestra, Kenny Werner, Simon Nabatov, Marc Ducret, Toots Thielemans, Mark Turner, Bob Malach and many others.
His bass playing is in high demand and currently he works with as a sideman with a large number of bands. He recorded several cd’s and is a talented composer. Two of his songs, 'Baby, baby, baby' and 'Perfect Life', are found on Tutu's new album Quiet Now.

Lieven Venken
Lieven Venken graduated cum laude at the jazz department of the Lemmens Institute (Belgium) in 1999 and continued his studies with Kees Cranenburg (Conservatory of Amsterdam, Holland) and with Billy Hart (New York), also attending master classes with Bian Blade and Jorge Rossy.
He quickly became on of the most sought-after drummers on the Belgian jazz scene and he moved to New York in 2002 where he currently plays in many bands.
He has shared the stage with Mark Turner, Claudio Roditi, Tim Armacost, Hein van de Geyn, Jonathan Moritz, Brian Lynch, Pete McCann, Jesse Van Ruller, Frank Vaganée, Nicolas Thys, Bart Defoort, Lindsy Horner, Kris Defoort, Bo Van Der Werf, Erwin Vann, Michel Herr, Ron Van Rossum, Manuel Hermia, Peter Hertmans, Steve Houben, Nathalie Loriers, Sal La Rocca, Bruno Vansina, Jozef Dumoulin, Piet Verbist, Erik Vermeulen, Jean-Louis Rasinfosse and many others.
He had the chance to participate in the Worlds Project of Erwin Vann Sextet with Norma Winstone, Eric Vloeimans, Michel Herr and Stefan Lievestro. Lieven divides his time between his home in Harlem, New York and Belgium, playing concerts all over the world.