Gino Sitson
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Award-winning, New York-based vocal virtuoso Gino Sitson is from the Bamileke region of Cameroon, Central Africa. His family 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. Mr. 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). His daring musical project combines in a most innovative way jazz, gospel, blues and traditional African polyphonic rhythms and melodies. By freely combining his trademark vocal acrobatics with a breathtakingly creative command of oral and body percussions and miscellaneous effects, Mr. Sitson forged an eloquent vocabulary capable of communicating far beyond any limits of language or custom. Through his vocal wizardry, he stunningly creates an endless range of sounds and atmospheres. Sitson’s seamless four-octave range travels from a soulful, resonantly masculine tenor with woodwind-like overtones to a high-soaring, nearly genderless spiritual wail, a feat that recalls Brazil’s Milton Nascimento, another deep-rooted yet restlessly protean, jazz-inflected shape-changer. Gino 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, Dim, 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, James Hurt, Antoine Roney, 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. In 2008, Mr. Sitson was invited by Bobby McFerrin to join him on a PBS documentary and to take part in a special project that took place at the Carnegie Hall (“Instant Opera”). As 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). Since 2006, Mr. Sitson is a Cultural Arts Ambassador for the city of Miami (Florida). Meanwhile, his international career continues apace. He has received “Parents Choice Silver Medal Honor Award” in 2004 and nominations from the WMCE (World Music Chart Europe), the RFI Awards 2000. His recent output includes soundtracks to Betrayal (Kevin Ngooh) and Blue Lotus (Dayo Ayodele); jingles for France Television and France 3; an ongoing collaboration with his German-based brother, vocalist-composer-percussionist-actor Njamy Sitson. Aside from musical performances, Gino leads vocal workshops served by his amazing vocal technique, his musical knowledge and his desire to share his love for vocal explorations. Gino has developed workshops for professional as well as non-professional singers, and also for children.
Official website : http://www.ginositson.com _______________
Funambolico virtuoso della voce, insignito di numerosi premi, Gino Sitson è originario della regione di Bamileke, nel Cameroon. Proveniente da una lunga tradizione di musicisti, conosciuti con il nome di Ntontas, ovvero suonatori di corno, viene introdotto insieme ai fratelli sin da piccolo alla musica Blues, Jazz e della tradiziona Africana, dalla madre cantante e direttrice di cori. Prima di dedicarsi completamente alla carriera musicale, Sitson si è impegnato sia nello studio della teoria musicale sia in quello accademico presso l’Università Parigina Sorbonne, studiando lingue ed etnomusicologia. A Parigi inizia ad inserirsi sulla scena musicale caratterizzata da un grosso fermento interculturale. La particolarità vocale di Sitson, con la sua voce in quattro-ottave, unita alla sua abilità nel comporre scale estremamente virtuosistiche, aprono la strada a numerose collaborazioni con vari Artisti della scena internazionale. Sitson ha registrato e collaborato con: Manu Dibango, Ron Carter, Papa Wemba, Roy Ayers, Wally Badarou, Geri Allen, David Gilmore, Ray Lema, Craig Harris, James Hurt, Antoine Roney, Jorge Ben, John William, Mario Canonge, Wallace Roney, Brice Wassy, Oliver N’Goma, Exile One, Steve Potts, So Why? (feat. Youssou N’Dour, Papa Wemba, Wally Badarou, Jabu Khanyile & Bayete, Lourdes Van-Dunem, and Lucky Dube), La Compagnie Créole. Dopo l’uscita del suo primo album, Vocal Deliria, acclamato dalla critica e dalla stampa, Sitson inizia a girare il mondo esibendosi sui palchi dei più prestigiosi Festival e Jazz Club, con il suo gruppo vocale afro-jazz, ricevendo molti premi e una nominations per il prestigioso WMCE (World Music Chart Europe). Sitson è l’unico musicista che riesca ad incorporare ed amalgamare la tecnica polifonica africana con l’improvvisazione musicale legata al linguaggio jazz. Grazie alle sue funamboliche doti vocali, riece a creare un incredibile ed infinito intervallo di suoni. Nella sua musica troviamo, sapientemente e abilmente mescolati, tutti gli stili dal jazz al gospel, passando per il blues e la polifonia africana, con un ritmo e una melodia sempre nuove e accattivanti. |