Estelle Kokot

Piano Lounge (Covent Garden)

Estelle recorded 2 singles of her own material when she was 18, featuring guitar legend Johnny Fourie and piano maestro Lionel Pillay. Her stage debut in 1987 was with South African bassist and composer Victor Ntoni and tenor player Duke Makasi’s jazz supergroup ‘Phambili ’at Kippies Jazz Club in Johannesburg. She went on to guest with South African World Music Stars Bayete, also appearing with SA Jazz greats Barney Rachabane and Mike Makhalemele at jazz clubs and in collaborations.

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"South Africa, here is a real jazz singer”

Don Albert, South Africa

Book tickets for Estelle Kokot

In 1988 Estelle Kokot joined jazz fusion band Rush Hour and their album ‘The Perfect Way’ went on to top the charts.

"Nothing short of stunning” Bongani Hlatshwayo, South Africa

Estelle has sung at 5 Big band Jazz Galas at Pretoria’s State Theatre and presented her solo shows at the Windybrow and Grahamstown Arts Festivals.

Estelle moved to London in the mid 1990’s and soon established herself on the live scene performing at Pizza Express and The Vortex Jazz Clubs, Cambridge Modern Jazz Cub and Band on the Wall in Manchester. She has also performed at the Cork, London, and Soho Jazz festivals, the Dusseldorf Jazz Rally and clubs and theatres in Switzerland and Germany.

Estelle released two studio albums ‘Alternative Therapy’ (1999) and ‘Information’ (2006) with London based line-ups that include Mick Hutton, Alan Skidmore, Tristan Powell, Rod Youngs, Yaron Stavi and Gene Calderazzo

"Standards and originals perfectly compatible side by side, Kokot is an excellent arranger of her own and other peoples’ material" John Fordham, The Guardian, London

‘Where Is the Rainbow’ from her SAMA nominated album ‘Information’ (2007) featured on a popular South African TV series ‘A Place Called Home’ and South African Strictly Come Dancing winner, actor/singer Emmanuel Castis recorded one of her tracks ‘I Don’t Know You Anymore’ on his CD ‘South of Nowhere’ (2008).