Singing
SOA means “precious” or “beautiful” in Malagasy, the language of my ancestors. I’ve been a jazz singer for over 15 years, performing in Europe and now across the pond in Canada.
When I started over in Montreal, I connected with my fellow bandmates, Moïse Yawo Matey & Eric St-Jean, and we gave birth to SOA, which combined piano, percussion and voice in an unexpected fusion.
Since I moved to Toronto, we have expanded our sound, integrating new techniques and have partnered up with other artists, including Thompson Egbo-Egbo and his trio and drum guru Sarah Thawer and we now go by the name SOA & Friends.
Our sound reflects my plural identity, pulling inspiration and musical techniques from Africa, Europe and North America. We perform both original compositions and catchy covers. If you’re interested in having us perform, please reach out and in the meantime, have a listen.
Discography
Residency and recognition
On several occasions, I had the opportunity to do some residency. In February 2022, thanks to the support of Big Lake Arts, we had a residency at the Drake in Wellington, ON
SOA has also received the support of the Ontario Arts Council on several occasions.
A musical journey on film
SOA was featured in the short documentary Trying to Make it Real: A Jazz Journey by Andreas Krätschmer, which follows us on a self-financed European tour and showcases the joy and struggles of our experience and its intersection with music and identity.
You can also find my music here:
