Cassie Kinoshi

Cassie Kinoshi is a British jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader who leads the group SEED Ensemble, who were nominated for a Mercury Prize award in 2019.

Cassie Kinoshi
OriginHertfordshire, England, United Kingdom
GenresJazz
Labels
Websitecassiekinoshi.co.uk

Biography

Kinoshi grew up in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England, and attended Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (Composition) as well as Tomorrow's Warriors.[1][2]

Kinoshi formed SEED Ensemble in 2016 as a way of celebrating Britain's diversity, and the group has been praised for its conscious look at British society and culture.[1] SEED Ensemble combine jazz with West African and Caribbean music, and Kinoshi told Vinyl Factory: "It's important to me that I shine a light on political subject matter which is often disregarded by the masses and highlight what it means to exist as a young Black British citizen today."[3] Kinoshi is also a member of the Afrobeat group Kokoroko, and the seven-piece jazz group Nérija'[1] Her six-piece Brown Penny played at SXSW in Austin, Texas, in early 2022, and is due to take part in the EFG London Jazz Festival in November 2022.[4]

In 2019, SEED Ensemble were nominated for a Mercury Prize award for their album Driftglass.[5] Kinoshi told DIY that she "screamed really high pitch and ran around in circles" when she heard about the nomination.[6] The album received an 85% jump in sales as a result of the nomination.[7]

Kinoshi is also a composer who writes for theatre, including the National Theatre (Top Girls), the Old Vic Theatre and the London Symphony Orchestra.[8][9][10][11][12]

References
  1. "Cassie Kinoshi on sci-fi, Sun Ra and her Mercury Prize nomination". Evening Standard. 18 September 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  2. Subscribe (18 September 2019). ""I write about what I feel" - Cassie Kinoshi talks SEED Ensemble's debut 'Driftglass'". DIY. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  3. "Saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi's SEED Ensemble announces debut album, Driftglass". 16 January 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  4. "Brown Penny". kingsplace.co.uk. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  5. Beech, Mark. "Rapper Dave Becomes Star To Watch With Mercury Prize Victory". Forbes. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  6. Subscribe (25 July 2019). "Cassie Kinoshi "screamed really high pitch" following SEED Ensemble's Hyundai Mercury Prize nod". DIY. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  7. "'We don't need to win it': Shortlisted Mercury acts reflect on the impact of the prize". Musicweek.com. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  8. "Deluxe - BalletBoyz". Lighthouse. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  9. Hemley, Matthew (25 October 2018). "Cassie Kinoshi named Cameron Mackintosh resident composer | News". The Stage. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  10. "On The Radar: Seed Ensemble". Musicweek.com. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  11. "London Symphony Orchestra - 2018 Panufnik Composers Announced". lso.co.uk. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  12. Jalloh, Adama (31 January 2018). "Cassie Kinoshi". British Music Collection. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
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