Melanie Scholtz
is a South African born, award winning jazz singer and composer. Playing piano since the age of 5, she went on to study classical singing at the Eoan Group before completing an Opera Diploma Cum Laude at the University of Cape Town in 2000. Melanie has released 5 albums under her own name thus far as well as collaborating with many South African and international jazz artists.
In 2012, Melanie won all three prizes in the prestigious Jazz Revelations competition as part of the Jazz a Juan Festival held in Nice, France. She was invited to be part of the festival programme in 2013.
Born in Frankfort in the Free State, Zamajobe Sithole grew up in Vosloorus, east of Joburg and sang in the local choir from the age of nine. Her early musical mentor was acclaimed gospel artist, Pastor Benjamin Dube. Zamajobe nagged her father for a guitar and started to write her own material. In 2003, she competed in the Pop Idols TV talent search, where made it through to the final 10 and built her own profile in the process.
A recording contract followed. She worked on her debut album with friend and producer Eric Pilani, and the album Ndawo Yami was released in 2004. It earned Zama, still only 19 years old, the Best Newcomer award at the 2005 Samas. Ndawo Yami went on to dominate the charts, spawning no fewer than four hit singles. Audiences fell in love with her fresh fusion of Afro-jazz, soul and funk. It was followed in 2008 by Ndoni Yamanzi, which disappointed some of her fans. She released Trailblazer on independent TMP label in 2012. In 2013, to celebrate 10 years in the music industry, she released Journey, a compilation of her old songs, as well as four brand-new tracks.
Ron Spielman (vocals, guitar)
Ron is a driven one: He travels the music world from singer / songwriter through folk, pop, jazz, blues to rock, letting him relax with his own music. He is one of the great unknown acquaintances of the German music scene. In Berlin, where he has lived for almost 15 years, his performances in changing formations have long enjoyed cult status.
Sebastian Peszko
is a multi-genre Violist, Violinist, Composer and Studio-Musician, based in Berlin, Germany, who started learning music from a young age. After graduating from the Royal College of Music in London and from the Manhattan School of Music in New York, where he obtained his Master’s Diploma, he worked as a freelancer with different orchestras and chamber music ensembles.
He has performed and recorded with many international artists, bands and jazz ensembles like – Moka Efti Orchestra, Nightmares on Wax, Kurt Rosenwinkel,
Sonja Firker (viola/vocals)
Since 1996 she plays in the quintet Mellow Melange, works as a studio musician and TV background musician. She accompanied Shania Twain, Lionel Richie, Bodo Wartke, Meat Loaf, Herbert Grönemeyer, Robbie Williams and Sarah Connor. In 1998 she recorded together with Gabi Red & Cem Arnold Süzer her debut album Paradise Turquoise.
Sonja Firker played the female lead role in the Bremen theater production Night Club and performs with the Casanova Society Orchestra. In 2017 she played as hostess at the GOP Theater Munich.
Regis Molina (sax/flute)
is a charismatic musician and composer from Havana, I’m working with for many years. Besides doing his visual portfolio, me and my camera are accompanying him to concerts, so that in the course of time I created an extensive archive of his work.
Andy Winter (drums and percussion)
The Austrian drummer Andy Winter received his musical education at the Vienna Conservatory and gave concerts early on with greats of the local scene such as Karl Ratzer, Harry Stojka, Wolfgang Puschnig, u.v.a. In 1988 he went to New York to study at the New School and has since worked with jazz musicians such as Larry Goldings, Brad Mehldau, Ron Carter, Mark Whitfield, Peter Bernstein, Scott Colley, Chris Potter, Ben Monder, Donny McCaslin, and others.
Lee Caspi (Cello)
started to play the cello when she was 6 years old. In 2012 she obtained her music degree at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, Tel Aviv University. During her studies she participated in international music masterclasses and was rewarded the America-Israel Cultural Organization Scholarship.
she also plays with international artists like: Michael Bublé, 2CELLOS, Sister Sledge, Lenny Williams, Odyssey, Donna Missal, and Helene Fischer
Andreas Henze (Double Bass)
studied at the music academy of the city of Kassel classical double bass. In addition to his busy activity as a theater musician at various institutions (Berliner Ensemble, Kurfürstendamm Theater, Kleines Theater, Schauspielhaus Hamburg) he traveled the world with many ensembles of different styles such as jazz, Latin American music and Singer / Songwriter.