Camilla George
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, a key reason why she is a firm fixture on the new London Jazz scene, alongside peers such as Nubya Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings. 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, reflecting African history, culture and slavery.
In 2014, Camilla formed her own critically acclaimed project showcasing the stars of the new UK Jazz Scene. Dubbed “The Golden Girl of Jazz” by The Evening Standard, Camilla’s debut album, ‘Isang’ (pronounced E-SANG which means ‘journey’ in Ibibio her native language) received huge critical acclaim.
Her follow up album, ‘The People Could Fly’ which was released in September 2018, featuring special guest Omar, as well as in hugely respected guitarist Shirley Tetteh, gained substantial critical acclaim with 4 star reviews from the Financial Times and Jazzwise to name a few. The album and Camilla was featured on several key playlists such as State of Jazz, and Camilla was the poster girl for Tidal’s British Jazz playlist. The album looked at tales that slaves passed onto their children through generations and, whilst full of sorrow, was essentially a story of hope for black people and mankind that we can one day live together in harmony.
Her most recent album, ‘Ibio Ibio’, is a tribute to her tribe the Ibibio people of South Eastern Coastal Nigeria. The album features an incredible lineup, including Daniel Casimir, Sarah Tandy, Winton Clifford, Renato Paris, Sheila Maurice-Grey, Rosie Turton, Shirley Tetteh, hip hop drummer, Daru Jones, Birmingham based rapper, Lady Sanity and Sam Jones. Ibio-Ibio was well-received by the press, with Mojo Magazine’s 4 star review stating “George is the undoubted star, delivering criss-crossing solos with a ‘50s hard-bop bent.” Other media coverage included a feature in Jazzwise Magazine. Camilla was nominated for a Jazz FM award for Best Instrumentalist 2019, and in 2023 won ‘Best Jazz Act’ at the Urban Music Awards. She performed in the Jazz Re:freshed showcase for SXSW, which was filmed at Abbey Road studios in 2021, as well as the Jazzahead showcase in 2021 and reached the final in the DC Jazz Prix in 2021.
In 2023 Camilla was asked to star in a promotional video for Henri Selmer Saxophones Paris. Recent notable performances include North Sea Jazz Festival, where Camilla performed with both her own group and as a featured artist in the ‘Diaspora Suite’ performance; Jazz a Vienne, where Camilla also sat in for a guest spot with Marcus Miller; EFG London Jazz Festival, Jazz In The Park Romania, Brosella and Jazz Onze Lausanne