| |
Award-winning, New York-based
vocal virtuoso Gino Sitson is from the Bamileke
region of Cameroon, Central Africa. He comes from
a long line of musicians, known as Ntontas, ("players
of horns") and his mother is a vocalist and choir
director. He and his siblings were introduced to blues,
jazz and African traditional music early in life.
Before embarking upon a professional career in
music, Gino Sitson divided his time between music
studies, the Sorbonne University and Paris 8 University in Paris, where
he studied languages and ethnomusicology.He was
gradually drawn into the multi-cultural Paris music
scene, initially as a drummer, then as a singer.
Mr Sitson’s four-octave voice plus his skills
as a composer and arranger put him in high demand
for recording sessions and for commercials and radio
/ television jingles (Danone, Peugeot, Vahine, etc).
The versatile young vocalist performed in a musical
and co-composed part of the music (Jeanne et le
Garçon Formidable). He has laid down tracks
or shared the stage with Manu Dibango, Ron Carter, Papa Wemba, Wally Badarou, John Scofield, Geri Allen, David Gilmore, Haruko Nara, Bobby McFerrin, Frank Wess, Ray Lema, Craig Harris, Roy Ayers, James Hurt, Antoine Roney, Luisito Quintero, Jorge Ben, John William, Mario Canonge, Wallace Roney, Brice Wassy, Oliver NGoma, Exile One, Steve Potts, So Why? (featuring Youssou NDour, Papa Wemba, Wally Badarou, Jabu Khanyile & Bayete, Lourdes Van-Dunem, and Lucky Dube), La Compagnie Creole, among others.
After the release of his first album, Vocal Deliria,
which was acclaimed by the press, Gino toured in
France and abroad with his Vocal-Afro-Jazz group.
He performed at a number of jazz clubs and fests
in Italy (Palermo di Scena, Musica Dei Popoli…),
Switzerland (Open PROMO…), Germany (Quasimodo
/ Berlin, Popkomm /Köln, Gostenhofer Jazztage…),
sometimes opening for stars like Brazilian singer
João Bosco (Lecco / Italy). He also became
a regular at top Parisian venues like New Morning,
Petit Journal Montparnasse, Duc des Lombards, Sunset...
In 2000, Gino fell in love with New York City and
decided to settle there. Since his arrival in the
USA, he has been attracting sell-out audiences at
top clubs and great venues (Carnegie Hall, Blue
Note, Jazz Bakery, Zinc Bar, Joe’s Pub, SOB’s,
Sweet Rhythm, Ashford & Simpson’s Sugar
Bar, Blues Alley Jazz Club, Lincoln Center, Schomburg
Center, Aaron Davis Hall, Snug Harbor Cultural Center),
museums (Smithsonian, Museum for African Art, Brooklyn
Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Philadelphia
Museum of Art, Museum for African Art …),
and festivals (a standing ovation at the influential
SxSW expo in Austin, TX; JVC Jazz Festival ; opening
for Roberta Flack at the Long Island Jazz Festival…).
He played before a delighted Mayor Michael Bloomberg
and other dignitaries at New York’s Gracie
Mansion at the kick-off to the city’s Immigrant
Week celebrations.
Gino Sitson was recently invited by Bobby McFerrin to join him on a PBS documentary about "THE MUSIC INSTINCT:SCIENCE & SONG".
Sitson’s second album, Song Zin’ (I
Want To Tell You), was released in April 2002 to
rapturous worldwide acclaim. It was selected by
the Los Angeles Times as a “Top Ten Jazz CD
of 2002” and nominated for a Kora
award (Africa’s equivalent of a Grammy).
His latest release (recorded in New York City),
Bamisphere, features Ron Carter (double bass), Jeff
"Tain" Watts (drums), Essiet Essiet (double
bass), and Helio Alves (piano). It is an adventurous
soundscape comprised of a dozen all-new tunes in
which ancient memories and fresh aspirations join
forces and are transformed into expressions of joy,
loss and one-world philosophy.
Sitson is part of the ongoing “Carnegie Hall
Neighborhood Concert Series” and leads professional
and amateur vocal workshops for adults and children.
He is a member of Chamber Music America. He is regularly
engaged for movie scores and commercials. He made
several TV appearances and has composed music for
the noted children’s TV show, Dora The Explorer
(Nickelodeon).
Meanwhile, Gino’s international career continues
apace. He has received nominations from the WMCE
(World Music Chart Europe) and the RFI Awards. His
recent output includes soundtracks to Betrayal (Kevin
Ngooh) and Blue Lotus (Dayo Ayodele); jingles for
France Television and France 3; producing an album
for Cilou, a French singer; an ongoing collaboration
with his German-based brother, vocalist-composer-percussionist-actor
Njamy Sitson (www.njamy-sitson.com);
and a remarkably successful 2004 performance at
Jazz a Vienne (France), one of Europe’s biggest
festivals.
Gino Sitson is the only vocalist who is incorporating
African polyphonic techniques into the improvisational
jazz vocalese tradition. Through his vocal wizardry
and 4 octaves, he stunningly creates an endless
range of sounds. Sitson's daring musical project
combines with maturity jazz, gospel, blues and traditional
African rhythms and melodies in a most innovative
way. His lyrics are mostly sung in Medumba, one
of the numerous Bamileke
languages of Cameroon.
THE MUSIC
Sitson is a pioneer of a new generation of multi-culturally
influenced African musicians who are integrating
into their musical styles their own exciting yet
bewildering welter of "in-between" living
experiences (north/south, tradition/modernity, 20th/21st
century).
By freely combining his trademark vocal acrobatics
with astonishingly creative body percussions and
miscellaneous effects, Mr. Sitson forged an eloquent
vocabulary capable of communicating far beyond any
limits of language or custom. Experiencing the body
and the voice as an endless musical resource: that's
what Gino wants to share.
Mr. Sitson has come to exemplify a kind of life
where loved ones are spread out among the continents.
For this musical nomad, home will always be more
about people than places and authenticity is as
much about where he is going as where he’s
been.
DISCOGRAPHY
| |
|
 |
• Gino
Sitson Bamisphere (2007,
Polyvocal
Records), featuring Ron Carter, Jeff
"Tain" Watts, Helio Alves, Essiet
Essiet. |
 |
• Gino
Sitson Song Zin’…Vocadelic
Tales (2002, Piranha
Records), featuring Orlando Poleo, Mario
Canonge, Vincent Segal...
|
 |
• Gino
Sitson Vocal Deliria
(1996, Polyvocal
Records) |
VIDEOS
Hear the beautiful new tune "Lucia" Gino
Sitson performed in duo with Helio Alves at LP Studios/
Congahead written for his lovely daughter.
http://www.congahead.com/Movies/menu.html
------------------------------------------------------
.Gino Sitson on "Canape"/ CUNY
TV
• Bi
Nyaï
Song Zin'… (Polyvocal
Records)
• Makalapati
Vocal Deliria (Absynthe Productions)
|
