A musician that brings something distinct, remarkable and exciting…

– BBC R2: Cerys Matthews

Born in Rwanda, raised in Belgium, based in London, Ineza is a true jazz vocalist with a remarkably distinct voice. With impeccably articulated vocals, she moves effortlessly between contemporary jazz and soul, blending elegant sophistication with raw vocal power. As a composer, she brings her own artistry to the genre, fusing jazz’s inventive freedom with the depth and richness of soul. Her versatile approach to singing has led to high-profile performances that include touring with Tom Odell and contributing to a BBC2 documentary alongside her highly acclaimed 2024 collaboration with Alex Webb and The Copasetics on Women’s Words, Sisters’ Stories, which earned praise for her emotional connection to the lyrics. Her two original EPs further establish her as a commanding, expressive artist and one of the UK’s brightest rising stars.

Ibuka is Ineza’s debut album as a leader, released on 12 September. Meaning ‘remember’ in Kinyarwanda (a Bantu language and the national language of Rwanda), its title encapsulates the spirit of the album. It tells Ineza’s personal story through a collection of 8 songs.

Ineza was born in Rwanda to her young, catholic mother whose unexpected pregnancy caused a huge scandal. Unwittingly and under pressure, she gave her 6-month-old child to an orphanage. By the age of 10 months, Ineza was adopted into a Belgian family (shortly after, the 1994 Rwandan genocide would begin, so she was one of the last children to be adopted into Europe). Her birth mother had named her ‘Ineza’, meaning ‘goodness’ in Kinyarwanda. As Ineza contemplates, “Something good came out of a bad situation”; Ineza and her adoptive mother built a strong, happy relationship. Ineza knew little about her biological family, and although her birth mother reached out when she was 17, it was the passing of her adoptive mother two years later that marked a turning point. In the difficult period that followed, Ineza discovered jazz—”learning the art of singing,’ she says, “helped me immensely with learning to live without her. Ibuka is a love note to my adoptive mother, Francine Declercq, whom I loved very much—a meditation on memory, heritage, and the echoes of yesterdays.”

Many of the songs on Ibuka draw from Rwanda and Ineza’s adoption. The closing track, Kwibuka, was written in remembrance of the 1994 genocide after she was invited to contribute to the 2024 commemoration.

Silence is the first single to be released from Ibuka on 4 July and is probably the album’s most soulful track. Inspired by the music of neo-soul pioneers such as Jill Scott and Angie Stone, Ineza chooses sax as her second voice rather than backing vocals and other ‘produced’ elements. “It’s the only love song on the album” she says, “but the album’s overall themes of loss, identity, and finding yourself can still be found. It’s about living with a complicated back story and finding it hard to express that to a partner.”

For Ibuka, Ineza has gathered a stellar group of musicians; Michael Lack (alto sax), Rob Brockway (piano), Ben Crane (double bass) and Kuba Miazga (drums). With her continued rise to prominence and a growing reputation for her outstanding vocal ability, Ineza is poised to leave an indelible mark on the jazz scene and earn a lasting place in the hearts of discerning music lovers.

LIVE PERFORMANCES:

10/07/2025 Buxton Buxton Jazz Festival

12/09/2025 London Alfie’s, part of the Soho Jazz Festival

08/10/2025 Leicester MJazz – The International

29/10/2025 London Vortex Jazz Club

15/11/2025 London Oliver’s Jazz Bar, part of the EFG London Jazz Festival