Afra Kane

In the organizer's words:

Singer-songwriter and pianist Afra Kane is the winner of the prestigious Montreux Jazz Talent Award and is now without question one of the most exciting neo-soul and jazz talents of our time.

The young artist's music is difficult to categorize as she fuses different genres with a cinematic sound. Kane herself describes her style as a blend of jazz and progressive R&B. With her music, she aims to create an alternative reality - one in which self-discovery and healing are accompanied by fearless emotional expression, acknowledging opposites such as faith & doubt, fear & empowerment, discovery & surrender.

With her latest album Could We Be Whole (Warner Music, 2024), Kane cements her reputation as a captivating and versatile vocalist. Her intimate, almost mystical creative approach is evident in virtuosic arrangements and a voice that is both powerful and seductive - music that is felt rather than defined.

Kane has performed at prestigious venues in Europe, Asia and North and South America, including Rockwood Music Hall in New York, Café Carlyle in Hong Kong - a renowned offshoot of the famous New York club that has hosted legends such as Eartha Kitt and Woody Allen - and the iconic Berlin jazz club A-Trane, which has also hosted artists such as Herbie Hancock . She was also the guest act on Jack Savoretti's tour of Italy and followed invitations to major festivals such as the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Leverkusen Jazz Days and the Festival de Jazz de St. Moritz. Afra Kane's concert highlights in 2025 include appearances at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, a tour of Italy with concerts in Milan and Turin, among others, and another tour of South America with numerous performances in Chile and Peru.

Before releasing her latest album Could We Be Whole (2024, Warner Music), Kane had already gained recognition with her critically acclaimed debut album Hypersensitive (2022) as well as the EP Scorpio (2019) and several singles, including Mouth Shut, which was named "Record of the Week" by BBC Music Introducing.

Afra Kane, who now lives in both England and Switzerland, began playing the piano at an early age. Her exceptional talent quickly led her to classical training at prestigious institutions such as the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (Wales) and the Haute École de Musique de Genève(Switzerland). Her diverse musical interests soon became apparent in her songwriting, fusing her classical training with elements of jazz, soul, R&B and future funk to develop her signature cinematic sound.

Winning the Montreux Jazz Talent Award - presented by a prestigious jury including Stanley Clarke, Chilly Gonzales, Carl Craig and Chucho Valdés - Afra Kane laid the foundations for a promising international career.

We are delighted to be able to welcome Afra Kane to Hamburg very soon. On January 9, she will be coming to the beautiful Halle 424 in the Oberhafenquartier.