vocalist Ineza
“There’s such uplifting positivity in both her lyrics and sound" BBC R3, Soweto Kinch
Ineza
“...a beautiful, ear-caressing voice.. stunning debut … Ineza is a natural storyteller” Record Collector
“A vocalist and songwriter of impressive talent” UK Jazz News
Ineza is a Rwandan-born, Belgian-raised jazz vocalist whose rising star continues to shine brightly on the international stage. With a voice described as powerful, expressive, and deeply emotive, she has become a distinctive presence in the UK jazz scene, praised for her ability to blend raw honesty with refined artistry.
Her highly anticipated debut album as a leader and songwriter, IBUKA, has been hailed as a landmark release. Meaning “remember” in Kinyarwanda, the album is both a personal meditation on memory, heritage, and identity, and a love note to her late adoptive mother, Francine DeClercq. Across eight original compositions, Ineza crafts music that is at once accessible and ambitious, rooted in storytelling and shaped by her own journey from Rwanda to Belgium and now the UK. Critics have celebrated IBUKA for its emotional depth, melodic strength, and originality, with Jazz in Europe calling it “highly musical and genuinely fresh”, Presto Music naming it their “Recording of the Week” and Jazzwise praising her “subtle storytelling and deeply affecting vocal style.”
Ineza has toured with award winning singer songwriter Tom Odell, performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra, and is featured on the London Vocal Project’s 2026 release Vital Spark alongside Dave Holland and Norma Winstone. She previously appeared as “Valaida” in the immersive theatre show 58th Street, and her voice can also be heard on soundtracks for the BBC and EA Games’ The Sims 4, reflecting a career that spans concert performance, theatre, and recording projects.
A regular performer at premier jazz venues and festivals across Europe such as Jazzahead in Germany and Varna Jazz Days Festival in Bulgaria, Ineza has also opened for Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra and Michelle David & The True Tones.
Blending jazz with soul and contemporary influences, Ineza’s music resonates with listeners across cultures, carrying both the weight of memory and the light of hope.
“Ineza has such a great voice” China Moses, Jazz FM
with Rick Simpson: organ • Tom Riviere: bass • Louis North: drums • Jeremy Shoham: sax
“There’s such uplifting positivity in both her lyrics and sound" BBC R3, Soweto Kinch
Ineza
“...a beautiful, ear-caressing voice.. stunning debut … Ineza is a natural storyteller” Record Collector
“A vocalist and songwriter of impressive talent” UK Jazz News
Ineza is a Rwandan-born, Belgian-raised jazz vocalist whose rising star continues to shine brightly on the international stage. With a voice described as powerful, expressive, and deeply emotive, she has become a distinctive presence in the UK jazz scene, praised for her ability to blend raw honesty with refined artistry.
Her highly anticipated debut album as a leader and songwriter, IBUKA, has been hailed as a landmark release. Meaning “remember” in Kinyarwanda, the album is both a personal meditation on memory, heritage, and identity, and a love note to her late adoptive mother, Francine DeClercq. Across eight original compositions, Ineza crafts music that is at once accessible and ambitious, rooted in storytelling and shaped by her own journey from Rwanda to Belgium and now the UK. Critics have celebrated IBUKA for its emotional depth, melodic strength, and originality, with Jazz in Europe calling it “highly musical and genuinely fresh”, Presto Music naming it their “Recording of the Week” and Jazzwise praising her “subtle storytelling and deeply affecting vocal style.”
Ineza has toured with award winning singer songwriter Tom Odell, performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra, and is featured on the London Vocal Project’s 2026 release Vital Spark alongside Dave Holland and Norma Winstone. She previously appeared as “Valaida” in the immersive theatre show 58th Street, and her voice can also be heard on soundtracks for the BBC and EA Games’ The Sims 4, reflecting a career that spans concert performance, theatre, and recording projects.
A regular performer at premier jazz venues and festivals across Europe such as Jazzahead in Germany and Varna Jazz Days Festival in Bulgaria, Ineza has also opened for Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra and Michelle David & The True Tones.
Blending jazz with soul and contemporary influences, Ineza’s music resonates with listeners across cultures, carrying both the weight of memory and the light of hope.
“Ineza has such a great voice” China Moses, Jazz FM
with Rick Simpson: organ • Tom Riviere: bass • Louis North: drums • Jeremy Shoham: sax
Line-up
Ineza
Jeremy Shoham
Alto and soprano saxophonist
Rick Simpson
Tom Riviere
Good to know
Highlights
- 2 hours 15 minutes
- In-person
Refund Policy
Location
The Elephant Inn, Finchley
283 Ballards Lane
London N12 8NR
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