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The first concert of the 2024/25 El Rincón del Jazz season comes from the innovative saxophonist, composer and bandleader Camilla George.
Camilla George's music is a mesmerizing blend of Afrofuturism, hip hop and jazz, with a politically minded subtext that has a powerful connection to her Nigerian identity, lineage and heritage, and reflects African history, culture and slavery.

Born in Eket, Nigeria, Camilla became interested in music from an early age and particularly the fusion of African and Western music. He grew up listening to Fela Kuti, as well as Jackie McLean and Charlie Parker. He began playing the saxophone at age 11, when he won a music contest where the prize was his saxophone lessons.

Camilla went on to study with many jazz greats, including saxophone giant Jean Toussaint (of Art Blakey fame), Julian Siegal and Martin Speake at Trinity College of Music, where she earned a Master's Degree in Jazz Performance, as well as receiving the Scholarship Archer for Outstanding Performance in 2011.

In 2009, he joined the award-winning band Jazz Jamaica and performed with special guest Ernest Ranglin at Ronnie Scott's jazz club. In 2013, Jazz Jamaica was nominated for a MOBO Award for Jazz Performance. They continue to perform extensively around the world.

In 2014, Camilla formed her own critically acclaimed project showcasing the stars of the UK's new jazz scene. Dubbed “The Golden Girl of Jazz" by The Evening Standard, Camilla's debut album, 'Isang' (meaning "journey" in Ibibio, her native language), received high praise from critics.

Their next album, 'The People Could Fly', which was released in September 2018, featuring special guest Omar, as well as highly regarded guitarist Shirley Tetteh, garnered significant critical acclaim with 4-star reviews from the Financial Times and Jazzwise. , to name a few. The album and Camilla were featured on several major playlists, such as State of Jazz, and Camilla was the model artist on Tidal's British Jazz playlist. The album looks at tales that slaves passed down to their children through generations and, although filled with sadness, was essentially a story of hope for black people and humanity that one day we will be able to live together in harmony.

His most recent album, 'Ibio Ibio', is a tribute to his tribe, the Ibibio people of the southeast coast of Nigeria. The album features an incredible lineup, including Daniel Casimir, Sarah Tandy, Winton Clifford, Renato Paris, Sheila Maurice-Grey, Rosie Turton, Shirley Tetteh, hip hop drummer Daru Jones, Birmingham rapper Lady Sanity and Sam Jones.

Ibio-Ibio was well received by the press, with Mojo magazine's 4-star review stating: "George is the undoubted star, offering solos interspersed with a '50s hard bop slant." Other media coverage included an article in Jazzwise magazine.

Camilla was nominated for the Jazz FM Award for Best Instrumentalist 2019 and in 2023 won the 'Best Jazz Performance' award at the Urban Music Awards. She performed at the Jazz Re:freshed showcase for SXSW, which was filmed at Abbey Road Studios in 2021, as well as the Jazzahead showcase in 2021 and reached the finals at the DC Jazz Prix in 2021. In 2023, Camilla will be was asked to star in a promotional video for Henri Selmer Saxophones Paris.

Recent notable performances include the North Sea Jazz Festival, where Camilla performed with her own group and as a featured artist in the 'Diaspora Suite' performance; Jazz a Vienne, where Camilla also performed as a guest with Marcus Miller; EFG London Jazz Festival, Jazz In The Park Romania, Brosella and Jazz Onze Lausanne.