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Gwen Sampé

Gwen is a singer/songwriter living in France. She has performed and taught throughout Europe.

About Me

Biography Gwendolyn Jewel Sampe is an American singer now living in Paris. Her first significant musical work was not as a straight- ahead jazz singer but as the composer/director of a poetry-song production titled “Turnings”, based on the poetry of Nigerian author Wole Soyinka. She was also the first woman to play the part of god in Benjamin Britten's “Noah's Flood”. This was followed by her taking the part of 'spirit' in the Ariya production of Purcell's “Dido and Aeneas.”

During this time Gwen has also been performing in various jazz venues in Europe - Iceland, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy and England. Her percussive and vocally challenging style has been compared to Bobby McFerrin and Betty Carter.

Her debut album Water Gazing , includes her own compositions, songs from the standards repertoire, which includes a re-working of the Leadbelly song 'There's A Man Goin' Round Takin' Names(. The musicians on this album are Phil Dawson guitars, Larry Bartley double bass, and the drummers Sebastian Rochford, Andrea Trillo and Kendrick Rowe.

Other than her performance work, Gwen also teaches voice, runs music workshops, and has done much work in England and Ireland with teenagers at risk using Black American folk forms as way a way of expression.

My Jazz Story

I love jazz because... I was first exposed to jazz... I met [musician name]... The best show I ever attended was... The first jazz record I bought was... My advice to new listeners... Or whatever else you have in mind.