Monika Kabasele is a young and talented Greek and Congolese singer and composer. Graduated from the department of Greek modern literature in the University of Athens and from the departement of jazz musicology in Athens and Paris (Paris 8, Vincennes Saint-Denis) she is now studying jazz singing at the conservatory of Paris, while performing with her own projects or participating as a singer in diverse jazz and world music projects in France and Greece. 

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Some of her latest jazz collaborations:

Sera Bellos Vocal quartet, Anamateur and Pros presenting Monique, Dimitris Kalantzis Sextet, Dimitri Vassilakis sextet, Roger Raspail “La Danse des tambours”, Stéphane Tsapis “Monday is Monk’s day” , Cyril Galamini Big Band, Jon Boutellier & Monika Kabasele quintet "Swing all the way", etc.

 

Her collaborations and initiatives led her to sing in such important world music stages and festivals

-> in Greece: Half Note Jazz Club, Afrikana jazz club, Olympia Municipal Music Theater Maria Callas, Athens concert Hall, Ilion Jazz festival, Fougaro Jazz festival

-> in Europe and Africa: Babel Sound Festival (Hungary), Fàbrica Braço de Prata (Portugal), Jamboree jazz club (Catalonia), Desert Vert Festival (Morocco), King George (Cologne), Vogler Jazz bar (Munich) etc. 

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She has been leader of the following projects: World Trio (Athens 2017-2019), Dearly Beloved Nancy (Dedication to Nancy Wilson, Athens 2018-2019), Grécofuturisme (Paris, 2019-2022). She recorded her first album in December 2022 in the title of "Monika Kabasele/Grecofuturisme" which will be out on May 2023. 

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About Jazz singing:

She studied with Eleni Valenti & Loukia Palaiologou (Greece), Sara Lazarus & Carole Hémard (Paris) but also participated to masterclasses with Sheila Jordan, Dianne Reeves, Jazzmeia Horn, Leila Martial, Harcsa Veronika etc.

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For her singing style, she has been influenced by jazz traditional singing such as Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzerald, Betty Carter, such as contemporary singing: Jazzmeia Horn, Cecil mclorrin Salvant, Kurt Elling and world music artists such as Eleni Tsaligopoulou (greek rebetiko music), Franco (rumba congolese music), Sara Tavares,
Sona Jobarteh, Richard Bona etc.

 

She is composing her own songs with greek, french, or english lyrics and singing them with great musicians such as Dexter Goldberg (piano), Cyril Galamini (trombone), Hugo Corbin (guitare), Cyril Drapé (doublebass), Arnaud Dolmen (drums), Ananda Brandao (drums) etc. 

She is currently living in Paris and playing with different projects
at jazz clubs such as “Le Baiser salé”, “Sunset-sunside”, “Duc des Lombards” etc.