姓名： DeniseJannah 英文名：- 性别：- 国籍：- 出生地：- 语言：- 生日：- 星座：- 身高：- 体重：-
Denise Jannah was born in Suriname, South America. With her family she moved to Holland in the mid seventies. For 4,5 years she studied Law at the University of Utrecht, but her love for music made her change her course: she enrolled into the Conservatory in Hilversum and completed her studies there, also earning her degree as a vocal educator.
In 1989 she won third prize at the Internationales Liederfestival “Menschen und Meer” in Rostock, former D.D.R. In that year she also was offered an important part in the musical “A Night at the Cotton Club”in which she starred in 347 performances in Holland, Germany and Belgium.
Her first album, “Take It From The Top” she recorded in 1991 with Timeless Records (Wageningen, Holland). In that same year she won the “Golden Microphone” at he National Jazz Vocal Contest in Breda, Holland. 1991 was also the first year (of many) in which she performed at the international North Sea Jaz Festival in The Hague, Holland.
In 1992 Jannah won first prize at the international Golden Orpheus Festival in Burgas, Bulgaria. There she also won third prize in the extra competition where the contestants were required to sing a composition by a bulgarian composer (not necessarily in Bulgarian).
In 1993 Denise Jannah recorded her second album for Timeless Records: “A Heart Full Of Music”. This album was recorded in New York. For this album she received her first Edison Jazz Vocal Award (important Dutch music award, comparable to the US Grammy Award). All through the years Jannah’s musical activities included numerous concerts in clubs, theaters and concert halls, teaching, and appearing in many televison- as well as radio programs. In 1995 she was contracted by the prestigious label Blue Note Records (New York, USA). Her first album with them was “I Was Born In Love With You”. On this album she was featured also with a Big Band. (Recorded in New York)
In 1996 she recorded a ‘cross-over’ album, a mix of different styles, titled “Different Colours”.
She performed in the “EBU Jazz Night” from the European Broadcasting Union,
broadcasted ‘live’ in 16 european countries. Also in 1996 was the premiere of the movie- documentary “Denise Jannah, New Lady In Jazz” made by renowned dutch film director Hans Hylkema, who is known for his music documentaries.
Among the highlights in 1997 was her performance for the European Union in The Hague, Holland in the Hall of Knights in January, and performing in May in the same Hall for Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of Holland, former president Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham-Clinton, and heads of states of Europe in the ”Commemoration Of 50 Years Marshall Help Plan for Europe”. In the meantime she had toured in a.o. Chili and Japan.
In 1997 Jannah was offered one of the leading parts in “Joe, The Musical”.
In 1998 Denise Jannah and Marjorie Barnes were the leading ladies in Fats Waller’s musical show “Ain’t Misbehavin’ ”, (European Tour). The “Ain’t Misbehavin’ “ cast performed for Mrs. Rodham-Clinton when she hosted a reception during her visit to Holland that year. In 1999 Jannah’s fifth album was released: “The Madness Of Our Love”, also on Blue Note Records and recorded in New York. This album was nominated for the Edison Jazz Vocal Award. Also in 1999 she performed at the prestigious “Spoleto Festival” In Charleston, South Carolina (USA).
In a huge ‘live’ broadcast (54 countries) during the change of the Millennium Jannah performed the song “Different Colours, One Rainbow” (her own lyrics) with about 100 children at the Dam Square in Amsterdam. The program was titled “Hello 2000”.
Also in January she opened the Barbados Jazz Festival, at the same time
opening for Wynton Marsalis’ Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra.
Apart from leading her own group Jannah had also performed several times as a featured guest with the Willem Breuker Collective. In 2000 their album “Thirst!” was released, on which Jannah performed 5 songs. She was again nominated for the Edison Jazz Vocal Award for her contribution to Willem Breuker’s album. The Willem Breuker Collective has been around for 27 years and has toured all over the world. Jannah has joined them on trips to Italy, Switzerland and France.
In July 2000 Jannah was presented with the Edison Jazz Public Award, during her 7th appearance at the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Hague, Holland.
In 2001 Jannah performed in Curaou for the Curaou Jazz Foundation, and at the festival “Jazz en Tête” in Clairmont-Ferrand, France. In 2002 she performed at “Printemps du Jazz” in Nmes, France.
Denise Jannah is a person of many interests. She is a vocalist, actress, educator, theatre vocal coach, composer and lyricist, who has made her mark in the world of jazz but who does not at all shy away from other styles like Latin, Fusion or World music. She claims her artistic freedom and loves to blend styles, of course also including her rich Surinamese cultural background. She is multilingual, from which she also benefits in her music. Jannah has been teaching Jazz at the World Music department of the Conservatory in Rotterdam, Holland for several years. Numerous have been her private classes, workshops and master classes.
As a theatre vocal coach she works with theatre companies like “De Nieuw Amsterdam” and “Theater Cosmic”, both in Holland. She has been a vocal coach for 7 theatre productions so far, including “Antigone” and “Regenboogvrouwen” (“For Coloured Girls Who Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Was Enough” from Ntozake Shange, USA). She was last vocal coach for “Romeo ‘N Juliette, A Caribean Xperienz” from Theater Cosmic, spring 2003, and “Ajax from Africa” from De Nieuw Amsterdam, fall 2003.
Denise Jannah has been featured as a guest with numerous bands, groups and orchestras throughout the years. Besides touring with her own group she has, among others, toured or performed with the Orchestra of the Royal Dutch Navy, the Orchestra of the Royal Dutch Air Force, the Royal Police Orchestra, The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the Rosenberg Trio, the Cyrus Chestnut Trio (USA), the renowned Dutch men’s choirs Maastreechter Staar and the Stichts Mannenkoor, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band (USA), the Metropole Orchestra, the Fra Fra Big Band, the Fra Fra Sound, the Holland Big Band, the Dutch Jazz Orchestra, the Bob Belden Big Band (USA), the Berget Lewis Gospel Train and the Willem Breuker Collective (touring the Dutch theatres again with this renowned orchestra from September ’06 through March ’07). She has furthermore shared the stage with distinguished colleages such as the well-known soul singer Eddie Floyd (“Knock on Wood”), jazz vocalist extraordinaire Jon Hendricks (King of Vocalese), pianists (the late) John Hicks, Bertha Hope, and Kenny Baron, bassists Ruth Davies and Ray Drummond. Among her steady accompanists are pianist Amina Figarova and guitarist Wolf Martini. International tours and/or performances included countries like Suriname, South Africa, the Caribbean, the Netherlands Antilles, Canada, Chili, Japan, Indonesia, Algeria, several European countries and the United States.
Jannah has performed for Royalty and other heads of states: she performed for Beatrix, Queen of Holland and the late Prince Claus, for leaders of the European Union at the “Eurotop”, for presidents Ellen Sirleaf Johnson (Liberia) and Ronald Venetiaan (Suriname), for former president Bill and his wife Hillary Clinton, for the Dutch Crown Prince Willem Alexander and his wife Princess Maxima, for former presidents Kenneth Kaunda (Zambia) and Nelson Mandela, and on separate occasions for Mrs. Graa Machel Mandela and Mrs. Hillary Clinton.
In the fall of 2003 she played one of the leading parts in the music theatre production “Jona” from Willem Breuker (Willem Breuker Collective) and Karel Deurloo, based on the book of Jona from the Bible.
Early 2002 Jannah started to set poetry to music. She has performed poetry in literature festivals in Holland, Suriname, South Africa, Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles and Indonesia. In January 2004 her first, well received album containing poetry with all self composed music was released, entitled “Gedicht Gezongen” (Poetry Sung). This was her first independent release and self-produced album, which she licensed to Plattèl
Music 2004.
In 2005, outside of Holland where she resides, Jannah performed/toured in Suriname, Israel, New York, Bonaire, Algeria, Bulgaria, Servia and Indonesia.
In November 2005 she was presented with the Bata Anastacievic Festival Award at the International Niville Jazz Festival in Ni, Servia, where she performed with the Bulgaria National Radio Big Band and the Ratko Zjaca Quartet.
On the 2006 international schedule were concerts also in South Africa, Luxembourg, Suriname, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
Jannah’s international performances in 2007 included concerts in Azerbaijan, Croatia, Bulgaria, Belgium, Curaao, Aruba, Suriname and South Africa.
2008 tours included Taiwan, Croatia, South Africa, Suriname and Belgium.
A live album of Denise Jannah and her guitarist Wolf Martini will be released in the fall of 2009. At least one more jazz album with a new group, ADYUUMA, with a.o. pianist Amina Figarova is expected in the fall of 2009 as well. International tours and concerts this year include Austria, Ireland, Suriname, Bonaire, Indonesia, Montenegro, the US and South Africa.
On april 29 2009, Jannah received a Royal Decoration from Her Majesty the Queen of Holland, Beatrix, as ‘Ridder in de orde van Oranje Nassau’.
This year 2010 started with a interesting tour visiting the Dutch theatres together with the renowned Rosenberg Trio and specoal guests like US vocalist Dennis Legree: blending Gypsy Swing, Soul and Gospel in the Rosenberg Soul Show!
