Camilla George
Jazz
Camilla George is a visionary saxophonist, composer, bandleader and innovator. Her strong cultural roots and love of fusing African and Western Music has informed her own unique style.
Her music is a hypnotising blend of Afrofuturism, hip hop and jazz, with a politically minded subtext that has a powerful connection to her Nigerian identity, lineage and heritage.
Her forthcoming third studio album, ‘Ibio Ibio’, is a tribute to her tribe the Ibibio people of South Eastern Coastal Nigeria. Born in Eket, Nigeria, she grew up listening to Fela Kuti, as well as Jackie McLean and Charlie Parker and began playing the saxophone at 11 years old.
Camilla went on to study with many jazz greats such as saxophone giant, Jean Toussaint (of Art Blakey fame), Julian Siegal and Martin Speake at Trinity College of Music where she gained a Masters in Jazz Performance, as well as being awarded The Archer Scholarship for Outstanding Performance.
In 2009, she joined award-winning band Jazz Jamaica and performed with special guest, Ernest Ranglin at Ronnie Scott’s jazz club. In 2013 they were nominated for a MOBO award.
In 2014, Camilla formed her own critically acclaimed project showcasing the stars of the new UK Jazz Scene. Her debut album, ‘Isang’ received huge critical acclaim. Her follow up album, ‘The People Could Fly’ featuring special guest Omar, as well as guitarist Shirley Tetteh, gained four star reviews from the Financial Times and Jazzwise, to name a few.
Camilla was nominated for an Urban Music Award for Best Jazz artist in 2017 and 2018 and nominated for a Jazz FM award for Best Instrumentalist in 2019 and reached the final in the DC Jazz Prix in 2021. Most recently, she was awarded the PRS Foundation Momentum Award.
