“...a beautiful, ear-caressing voice.. stunning debut … Ineza is a natural storyteller”
Charles Warring, Record Collector
Rwandan-born and Belgian-raised, Ineza is a jazz vocalist and songwriter whose music explores themes of memory, identity, and belonging. Drawing on contemporary jazz, soul, folk, and African influences, she creates music that blends lyrical storytelling with expressive improvisation and richly melodic songwriting. With a voice described as powerful, expressive, and deeply emotive, she has become a distinctive presence on the UK jazz scene, praised for her ability to combine raw honesty with refined artistry.
Her critically acclaimed debut album as a leader and songwriter, IBUKA (2025), marked a major artistic statement. Meaning "remember" in Kinyarwanda, the album is a personal meditation on memory, heritage, and identity, and a tribute to her late adoptive mother. Across eight original compositions, Ineza crafts music that is at once accessible and ambitious, shaped by her own journey from Rwanda to Belgium and now the UK.
IBUKA received widespread critical acclaim for its emotional depth, melodic strength, and originality. Jazz in Europe described the album as "highly musical and genuinely fresh," while Presto Music named it its Recording of the Week. In 2026, Jazzwise recognised Ineza as one of its Names to Watch, highlighting her as one of the UK's most distinctive emerging jazz voices.
Since graduating from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, Ineza has established herself as an in-demand and versatile artist. She has toured with award-winning singer-songwriter Tom Odell, performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra, and features on the London Vocal Project's 2026 album Vital Spark alongside Dave Holland and Norma Winstone. Alongside her performing career, she has contributed to theatre productions and studio recordings for a range of projects, including work for the BBC.
A regular performer at leading jazz venues and festivals across Europe, Ineza has appeared at festivals including Jazzahead (Germany), Varna Jazz Days (Bulgaria), and Svendborg Jazz Festival (Denmark). She has also opened for Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra and Michelle David & The True Tones. Her earlier EPs, Where Are You From and Who Am I, earned acclaim from BBC Introducing, Bandcamp, Fresh on the Net, and Women in Jazz Media, establishing her as an artist unafraid to explore questions of identity, home, and belonging.
Whether performing intimate original material or leading a festival stage, Ineza brings warmth, vulnerability, and a distinctive artistic voice to every performance. UK Jazz News described her as "a vocalist and songwriter of impressive talent," while Jazz in Europe wrote that IBUKA is an album that "will help shape jazz's next chapter."