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Nubya Garcia

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Nubya Garcia
Garcia at INNtöne Jazzfestival 2019
Garcia at INNtöne Jazzfestival 2019
Background information
Birth nameNubya Nyasha Garcia
Born1991 (age 32–33)
Camden Town, London, England
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader
InstrumentsTenor saxophone
Labels
Websitenubyagarcia.com

Nubya Nyasha Garcia (born 1991) is a British jazz musician, saxophonist, composer and bandleader.

Early life and education

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Garcia was born in 1991 in Camden Town, London, the youngest of four siblings, to a Guyanese mother, a former civil servant, and a British Trinidadian filmmaker father.[1]

Garcia followed her three older siblings to the local Camden Saturday Music Centre at the age of five, where she first learned the violin and later played the viola in the London Schools Symphony Orchestra (LSSO). Garcia's upbringing by her stepdad, a brass player,[2] and music loving mother, coupled with the music activities at Camden School for Girls,[3] meant she was exposed to multiple genres of music.[4][5][6]

Garcia began learning the saxophone at the age of 10,[5] with Vicky Wright. Garcia became a member of the Camden Jazz Band, directed by jazz pianist Nikki Yeoh, before joining the junior jazz programme at the Royal Academy of Music. She attended youth music workshops at the Roundhouse in Camden and also Tomorrow's Warriors under the direction of Gary Crosby.

While still in high school, she received a scholarship for a five-week summer programme at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. During her gap year, she studied with former Jazz Messengers member Jean Toussaint. In 2016, Garcia graduated with honours from the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, in Jazz Performance.[1][7][8] Among her graduating class were Joe Armon-Jones and Moses Boyd.[9][10]

Career

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In 2017, Garcia released her debut EP Nubya's 5ive via the label Jazz re:freshed.[11] That year, her band was an opening act at Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Festival in Sète;[12] the following year she played at the NYC Winter Jazz Festival[13] and the JazzFest Berlin.

In her 2018 EP When We Are, Garcia explored how electronics can be used in a live jazz environment; the EP was created with the support of the Steve Reid InNOVAtion Award, a development project between PRS Foundation and Steve Reid Foundation.[14] She is also a member of the collective Nérija[15][16][17] and the Afro-jazz ensemble Maisha.[18][19]

Garcia has performed at festivals in the UK including Love Supreme Jazz Festival[12][20] and NN North Sea Jazz Festival.[21] She has headlined sell-out shows at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club.[22] Since November 2017 Garcia has held monthly radio residency as a DJ on NTS Radio.[23]

Garcia was supposed to perform at the 2020 Glastonbury Festival,[24] which had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[25] In June 2022, Garcia debuted her band on the West Holt stage at Glastonbury.[26]

Garcia released her debut studio album Source in August 2020[27] on the Concord Jazz label. The album was listed on several end of 2020 top album lists. In July 2021, Garcia's album Source was shortlisted for the 2021 Hyundai Mercury Prize.[28]

Nubya Garcia debuted her band on 18 August at the 2021 BBC Proms held in London's Royal Albert Hall. The Daily Telegraph gave the performance a five-star review.[29][30]

In December 2020, Garcia joined a band of British jazz musicians called London Brew to play on the Bitches Brew-inspired self-titled album, which was announced for release on 31 March 2023 by Concord Jazz.[31]

On 15 September 2023, at the Royal Festival Hall, Garcia performed with the Nu Civilisation Orchestra (NCO) their exploration of Stan Getz's 1962 album Focus, together with two new works by Black British composers Oleta Haffner and the NCO's Peter Edwards, in a well-reviewed concert.[32][33][34][35][36]

Musical influences

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Garcia has cited the prominent jazz saxophonists Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane, as well as trumpeter Miles Davis and pianist-composer Mary Lou Williams, as her "musical heroes".[37][38] She included Steel Pulse, a UK-based reggae band from Birmingham, among her musical inspirations.[39]

Charitable work

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Garcia is a patron of the Camden Music Trust.[40]

Discography

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Albums

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Singles and EPs

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  • "When We Are" EP (2018)[45]
  • "Pace" single (2020)
  • "Source" single (2020)

Awards and nominations

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Year Organisation/Award Category Result Ref
2017 PRS Foundation Steve Reid Innovation Award Won [46]
British Jazz Awards Rising Star Nominated [47]
Jazz FM Awards UK Breakthrough Act Nominated [48]
2018 Jazz FM Awards UK Breakthrough Act Won [49]
South Bank Sky Arts Award Times Breakthrough Act Won [50]
British Jazz Awards Rising Star Nominated [51]
2019 Jazz FM Awards UK Jazz Act of the Year Won [52]
Jazz FM Awards EFG London Jazz Festival Live Experience of the Year Nominated [53]
2020 Parliamentary Jazz Awards Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year Nominated [54]
Urban Music Awards Best Jazz Act Nominated [55]
2021 Parliamentary Jazz Awards Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year Won [56]
Parliamentary Jazz Awards Jazz Album of the Year Nominated [57]
Urban Music Awards Best Jazz Act Nominated [58]
Jazz FM Awards Album of the year Nominated [59]
Mercury Prize Album of the Year Nominated [60]
JTI Award JTI Trier Jazz Award Won [61]

References

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  1. ^ a b Harris-Stoute, Cloyette (21 July 2018). "She Rocks! Meet Nubya Garcia, Award Winning Jazz Saxophonist & Composer". Guyanese Girls Rock!. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  2. ^ Ryan, Rob (13 July 2017). "Trailblazing jazz hands of Nubya". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  3. ^ "News about CSG Alumni". The Camden School for Girls. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  4. ^ "Gilles Peterson with Nubya Garcia (Europe)". 19 December 2017 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ a b "Nubya Garcia". Dark Arts London. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  6. ^ "Nubya Garcia – Lost Kingdoms & Fly Free | Red Bull Music". 19 March 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2020 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ "September Alumni Roundup". Trinity Laban. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  8. ^ Hutchinson, Kate (15 February 2018). "One to watch: Nubya Garcia". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  9. ^ "Moses Boyd".
  10. ^ "Joe Armon-Jones".
  11. ^ "Nubya Garcia Releases Her Debut Solo EP "Nubya's 5ive"". Music Is My Sanctuary. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  12. ^ a b Peterson, Gilles (29 June 2017). "Worldwide Festival 2017!!!!". Gilles Peterson. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  13. ^ "Lineup Announced for 2018 Winter Jazzfest in NYC". JazzTimes. 3 November 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  14. ^ "Nubya Garcia: Steve Reid InNOVAtion Award". Prsfoundation.com.
  15. ^ "Blume, by NÉRIJA". NÉRIJA. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  16. ^ "Nérija". Rough Trade. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  17. ^ Boyd, Lou (17 June 2019). "Learn Why Nubya Garcia is the Next Big Thing in Jazz". Red Bull. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  18. ^ "Maisha". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  19. ^ "Open The Gates, by Maisha". Maisha. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  20. ^ "Nubya Garcia". Love Supreme Festival. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  21. ^ "Nubya Garcia". NN North Sea Jazz Festival. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  22. ^ "Ronnie Scott's 60th Anniversary Street Party". Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club. 18 June 2020.
  23. ^ "Nubya Garcia". NTS Radio. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  24. ^ "Glastonbury 2020: all you need to know about dates, line-up, tickets and more for the 50th anniversary festival". NME. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  25. ^ Bakare, Lanre; Morris, Steven (18 March 2020). "Glastonbury 2020: festival cancelled due to coronavirus outbreak". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  26. ^ "Glastonbury Festival - 2022". Glastonburyfestivals.co.uk.
  27. ^ "Nubya Garcia". Nubya Garcia.
  28. ^ "Home". www.mercuryprize.com.
  29. ^ "Nubya Garcia: The British sax star who is jazzing up the BBC Proms". BBC News. 17 August 2021.
  30. ^ Hewett, Ivan; Diggins, Alex; Kettle, David; Allison, John; Brown, Mark; Allfree, Claire (2 August 2021). "A thrilling, frustrating George Benjamin premiere at the Proms, plus the best of August's classical concerts". The Telegraph.
  31. ^ Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (19 January 2023). "Nubya Garcia, Shabaka Hutchings, Tom Skinner, and More Announce Miles Davis Tribute Album London Brew". Pitchfork. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  32. ^ Williams, Richard (16 September 2023). "Re-Focus". thebluemoment.com. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  33. ^ Billington, Chloe (16 September 2023). "Nu Civilisation Orchestra & Nubya Garcia". MusicNews.Com. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  34. ^ Walters, John L. (18 September 2023). "Nu Civilisation Orchestra with Nubya Garcia: 'Focus' at the Royal Festival Hall". London Jazz News. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  35. ^ Tom Spargo, "Nubya Garcia brings a modern edge to Stan Getz’s Focus at Royal Festival Hall", Jazzwise, 18 September 2023.
  36. ^ Silverstone, Danny (19 September 2023). "Focus From Stan Getz and Eddie Sauter to Nubya Garcia and The Nu Civilisation Orchestra". My Life In Jazz. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  37. ^ NBG Proms, Bigozine2.com
  38. ^ "Camden New Journal". Edition.pagesuite.com. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  39. ^ "Sheroes Mixtape Memoir with Nubya Garcia". Radio.sonos.com. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  40. ^ "Nubya Garcia | WHO WE ARE". Camdenmusictrust.org.
  41. ^ "Nubya's 5ive, by Nubya Garcia". Nubya Garcia. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  42. ^ "SOURCE, by Nubya Garcia". Nubya Garcia. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  43. ^ Flynn, Mike (16 July 2020). "Nubya Garcia goes back to the Source for debut solo album and releases epic title track as first single". Jazzwise. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  44. ^ "Odyssey, by Nubya Garcia". Nubya Garcia. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  45. ^ "When We Are, by Nubya Garcia". Nubya Garcia. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  46. ^ "Nubya Garcia: Steve Reid InNOVAtion Award". PRS for Music Foundation. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  47. ^ "British Jazz Awards 2017 Results Announced". Bigbearmusic.com. 8 November 2017.
  48. ^ "Jazz FM Awards". Jazzfmawards.com. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  49. ^ "2018 Awards". Jazz FM Awards. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  50. ^ Mayo, Douglas (1 July 2018). "South Bank Sky Arts Awards 2018 Winners Announced Today". British Theatre. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  51. ^ "2018 British Jazz Awards Results". Bigbearmusic.com. 5 November 2018.
  52. ^ Gilvear, Chris (30 April 2019). "Winners announced for the Jazz FM Awards 2019". Jazz FM. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  53. ^ "Jazz FM Awards". Jazzfmawards.com. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  54. ^ "Nominations Announced for 2020 Parliamentary Jazz Awards". Londonjazznews.com. 27 May 2020.
  55. ^ "Nominations for the 17th edition of the annual Urban Music Awards 2020". Urbanmusicawards.co. 20 December 2019.
  56. ^ Adams, Rob (26 July 2021). "Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2021 winners announced". Londonjazznews.com.
  57. ^ "Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2021 – Nominees Announced". Londonjazznews.com. 6 July 2021.
  58. ^ "Kanye West, Dua Lipa, Beyonce, Russ Millions, Dave, Ghetts & Jorja Smith make the shortlist for this year's 18th annual Urban Music Awards". Urbanmusicawards.co. 25 August 2021.
  59. ^ "Jazz FM Awards". Jazzfmawards.com. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  60. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (22 July 2021). "Mercury prize 2021: first-time nominees dominate shortlist". The Guardian.
  61. ^ "Nubya Garcia beim JTI Jazz Award". Sr.de. 18 October 2021.
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