Jocelyn B. Smith
Jocelyn Bernadette Smith (born August 22, 1960 in Queens , New York City ) is an American jazz and opera singer .
Life
Jocelyn B. Smith received classical piano training from the age of 5. In 1980 she sang in Lenny White's funk / soul band Twennynine and toured Europe with her. With the funk group "Change" she played in the opening act of the Electric Light Orchestra . In 1984 she moved to Berlin , where she released her first album River in 1991 . In 1985 she made a guest appearance in the feature film In the Desert , in which she sang live in Berlin's Quasimodo . In 1987 she sang lyrics by William Blake on the Tangerine Dream album Tyger . In 1986/87 she went on a world tour with Falco as a backing singer. From 1984 to 1996 she toured with her band “The Married Men” through Central Europe (including three GDR tours).
In 1995 she received the Golden Record Award for the theme song The Eternal Circle in the Disney classic The Lion King .
In 1996, she sang his song, Never Give Up, in a duet with Udo Jürgens on his album Gestern-Heute-Morgen .
In 1999 the composer Heiner Goebbels invited her to perform as a soloist in his work Surrogate Cities . It was at the world premiere and other performances in 2001 in Dessau, 2002 in Edinburgh and 2003 in Brisbane, Australia as well as in Lucerne and Berlin - as well as, for example, the Berlin Philharmonic under Simon Rattle . (Later performances took place with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Scandinavia and Italy.)
As a soprano she took part in Mikis Theodorakis ' opera Die Metamorphosen des Dionysus , sang duets with Maria Farantouri and published the CD Margarita with his songs. At the Berlin commemoration on September 11, 2001 (which was broadcast worldwide by CNN, among others ), she interpreted the hymn Amazing Grace .
In 2006 she came together with the 12 cellists of the Berliner Philharmoniker in a television production. Her current band includes Henning Schmiedt (p), HD Lorenz (b), Kai Brückner (g), Volker Schlott (sax / fl), Thomas Alkier (dr). In 2008 she also gave concerts with songs by Zülfü Livanelis at the film festival Turkey / Germany in Nuremberg and the Frankfurt Book Fair .
Since 2006 she has shown her musical social engagement in choir work. She gives voluntary singing lessons in a Kreuzberg community and neighborhood center against poverty and social exclusion "Gitschiner 15". Since April 2008 she has been supporting the action alliance landmine.de with her music project "Higher Love" - children sing for children and campaigns for a worldwide ban on cluster munitions and landmines. Then in July 2008 she founded the non-profit association Yes We Can eV, which campaigns for the sustainable protection and help of children who have been victims of war. Yes We Can eV is an ambassador for the beBerlin 2008 campaign.
On December 21, 2016, a choir of several hundred people sang the song We are the World on Breitscheidplatz under her guidance . This was intended to send a signal against fear and hatred after the attack on December 19, 2016 .
Awards
For the German version of the Disney film The Lion King , she sang the theme song. For her CD Blue Lights and Nylons she received the gold record in the German Jazz Award in Germany in 2003 . In 2018, Federal President Steinmeier awarded her the Federal Cross of Merit on ribbon for her musical and social commitment .
Discography
- River , 1991
- Born of Music , 1992
- Live in Berlin , 1997
- Blue Lights & Nylon , 1998
- Margarita , 2000
- My Christmas Experience , 2001
- Back to Soul , 2002
- The Faces of Jocelyn B. Smith - Her Very Best , 2003
- Secret Place , 2004
- Phenomenal Woman , 2004 (with Till Brönner and Tony Lakatos )
- Berlin for New Orleans , 2005
- ExpressionZZ , Live, 2006
- Pure & Natural , Direct-to-Disc, 2013
- Here I am 2013, / Blondell
- Boost Your Vocals , 2014, / EP
- Today and Here , 2014
- I Love with Greatness , 2014
- My Way , 2015
- Shine Ur Light , 2019
Participation
- Lenny White: 29 , 1980
- Tangerine Dream: Tyger , 1987
- Heiner Goebbels: Surrogate Cities , 1999 (with David Moss )
- Eloy: The tides return forever , 1994
- VSOP Vienna Symphonic Orchestra: Classic Meets Pop 4, 2016
compilation
- Jo-Jo , 2003 ( Zounds , all tracks digitally remastered, 24 carat gold CD)
Web links
- Jocelyn B. Smith at Discogs (English)
- Jocelyn B. Smith in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Jocelyn B. Smith website
- Music project Higher Love
- Yes We Can eV
- Jocelyn B. Smith at laut.de.
- Literature by and about Jocelyn B. Smith in the catalog of the German National Library
- Deutschlandfunk (DLF) nuances. Music and questions about the person from May 6, 2018
Individual evidence
- ↑ https://jocelynbsmith.com/jocelyn-2/aboutme
- ↑ Hundreds of people sing "We Are The World" on Breitscheidplatz. In: With pleasure Berlin. Retrieved December 22, 2016 .
- ^ Gold / platinum database of the Federal Association of the Music Industry , musikindustrie.de, accessed on June 16, 2016.
- ↑ Bellevue Palace: Cultural workers receive the Federal Cross of Merit, tagesspiegel.de, article from September 30, 2018.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Smith, Jocelyn B. |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Smith, Jocelyn Bernadette (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American jazz and opera singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 22nd August 1960 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Queens , New York City |