Biography

“It’s a clever and entertaining juxtapostion of idioms that kicks pure Jazz and authentic rap into a brave new world.” (The Guardian)
“Mr Kinch demonstrates what England has to teach [the USA] about narrative Hip-Hop. Don’t sleep on Mr Kinch” (The New York Times)

Award winning alto-saxophonist and MC Soweto Kinch is one of the most exciting and versatile young musicians in both the British jazz and hip hop scenes. Undoubtedly, one of the few artists in either genre with a degree in Modern History from Oxford University he has amassed an impressive list of accolades and awards on both sides of the Atlantic. In October 2007, he won his second MOBO Award, at the O2 Arena, London where he was announced as the winner in the Best Jazz Act category- fending off stiff competition from the likes of Wynton Marsalis.

His skills as a hip hop MC and producer have also garnered him recognition in the urban music world: having supported the likes of KRS ONE, Dwele and TY, and being championed by the likes of Rodney P and BBC 1-Xtra’s Twin B.
His last album release, A Life in the Day of B19 is a ground-breaking concept album that effortlessly melds the worlds of Jazz and Hip Hop to tell a story of inner city trials and triumphs in Kinch’s native Birmingham. Concentrating on the stories of three fictitious characters and featuring narration from veteran BBC newscaster Moira Stuart it was released to much critical acclaim. It has earned him 4 stars in the Guardian and Times, his second MOBO Award and the British Jazz Award for best Alto Saxophonist, and an Urban Music Award nomination in 2007.

Kinch continues to broaden his musical lexicon and has composed scores for a number of high profile theatre productions, including Absolute Beginners at the Hammersmith Lyric, and Kwame Kwei-Armah’s Statement of Regret at The National Theatre. 2007 also saw the development of Soweto’s first major work as a scriptwriter following more directly in his father Don Kinch’s footsteps. The Midnight Hop is an epic piece of musical-theatre, retelling the stories of black musician’s in 18th Century England, with a completely unique meeting of classical music, folktales, popular doggerels from the period and modern jazz.

AWARDS

MOBO AWARD Best Jazz Act 2007
BRITISH JAZZ AWARDS, Alto Saxophone 2007
URBAN MUSIC AWARDS, Best Jazz Act, 2006
BBC JAZZ AWARD, Best Instrumentalist 2004
BBC JAZZ AWARD, Best Band, 2004
PETER WHITTINGHAM AWARD, Jazz Innovation, 2004
URBAN MUSIC AWARDS, Best Jazz Act 2004
MERCURY MUSIC PRIZE, Album of the Year, 2003
MOBO AWARD Best Jazz Act 2003
BBC JAZZ AWARD, Rising Star 2002
MONTREUX JAZZ SAXOPHONE COMPETITION, Winner 2002