Jazz Vocalist Douyé to Release New Project “The Golden Sèkèrè”

Nigeria-born, Los Angeles-based jazz vocalist Douillet breathes new life into the great American songbook
The Golden Sekele

Douillet fuses her polyrhythmic African heritage with the lyricism of the Western jazz world to create a stunning body of work. A 14-song collection of sublime beauty and percussive festivity

Featuring trumpeter Sean Jones and guitarist Lionel Loueke. Bassist Buster Williams

Released from Rhombus Records on July 7th

The Great American Songbook contains fun lyrics and delicious melodies recorded and performed by dozens of singers. Since the 90s, some jazz vocalists have strayed from that straight track by covering contemporary pop tunes or writing their own tunes, but standards have been around for decades. It continues to serve as a foundation for jazz vocals. However, this repetition can also take away the depth of the song. Often an album of standards performed by the best vocal talent can sound predictable.

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, and based in Los Angeles, comes the extraordinary jazz vocalist. Douillet Who will breathe new life into proven standards? The Golden Sekele— her fifth album named after her hometown’s indigenous beaded percussion instruments. She blends the polyrhythmic African tradition with the lyricism of the Western jazz world to create her stunning 14-song collection of sublime beauty and percussive festivity. She stands proudly as a special font of creative innovation.

“I’ve seen thousands of people singing these jazz standards on YouTube, and many of them feel inauthentic,” says Douillet. “Like my father taught me, you had to connect with the spirit of each song to understand it directly.”

All the criteria she expresses are The Golden Sekele They are familiar, but impossible for anyone who has ever heard them in this soundscape. With its exquisitely dark roasted voice, Douillet offers a wide range of sounds, from horn-laden, percussion-driven big bands to more intimate settings spiced up with talking drums and sequelesses. In creating The Golden Sèkèrè, Douillet was inspired by Fela Sowande, a Nigerian musical virtuoso and classical composer known for his fusion of Nigerian and classical music. Guitarist Dokun Oke and his percussionist Najite Agindotan contributed their musical skills to the project, along with a rich Nigerian support team featuring arrangers Bada Ken Okoro, Tosin Alibisala and Zem Audu. gave me Douillet convenes an impressive guest list, including trumpeter Sean Jones, who appropriately ignites Miles Davis’ most recognized Rodgers and Hart’s “My Funny Valentine.” He takes Douillet’s voice delicately. “Sean has that touch,” she says.

Douillet also features the majestic guitarist Lionel Loueke (born in neighboring Benin, Nigeria) on the love song “Fly Me to the Moon” and the romantic ballad “I’m Confeshing That I” that follows her when she faints. · Love you” is on the front. Vocals as a complement to percussive undergarments. “Lionel’s talent is his generosity in responding to my intentions for this album,” says Douillet. “Being African, he understood what I had in mind.”

Bass legend Buster Williams makes an appearance on “Devil May Care,” which is primarily a duet with Douillet and one of the album’s many highlights. African percussion is slightly spiced. She admired his work and demeanor, so she sought him out. “Plus, he recorded with one of my teachers, Sarah Vaughan,” says Douillet. “When he asked what I was looking for, I said I wanted to blend a standard sound with a Nigerian sound. it was done.

In choosing songs for the collection, Douillet said: “Every song has its own spirit and these songs spoke to me. I have a spiritual bent.

What got me started The Golden Sekele The project was her love for Cole Porter’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” which appears twice on the album. To further incorporate the rich Nigerian culture into the celebratory version of the song, she cites the influence of Nigerian superstar Fela Kuti. She grew up listening to her father play his music every day. “It was a blessing and an honor to try this song with Fela in mind,” she says. “Cole Porter wrote this song, but another teacher of mine, Frank Sinatra, was the inspiration for it. I needed the blessing of

Douillet paid his respects at Sinatra’s burial site in Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, near Palm Springs. The song kept coming back to her mind. “On the drive back to LA, I was singing this song and thinking about how I could add my own flair to it,” she says. “Then the beats came up while I was in the shower. I sent them to Bata Ken Okulolo and expressed my interest in completing this song with a big band. Like Frank I didn’t mean to do it in 2010, but it will give the world the experience of seeing this song in a different light.” The 15-piece band’s song is full of frenzy.

Douillet created this album to honor her heritage in culture and sound. The Golden Sekele This is also a loving tribute to Douillet’s father, Randy Uduba. Although she started her career recording R&B music, she never forgot her father who insisted she sing jazz. In the liner notes for her album, she wrote of her blessing when her father told her: We encourage you to create an album that honors your talents and traditions. I know God is with you every step of the way. ”

Douillet | The Golden Szekele
Diamond Records | Release Date: July 7, 2023

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