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Gino Sitson
(Cameroon)
Biography
Gino Sitson is an extraordinary multitalented musician,
hailing from West Cameroon. He is successfully blending African polyphonic traditions with jazz and blues,
using his acrobatic vocal abilities. His first album was mainly vocal, on his second album
« Song Zin'... (Vocadelic Tales) », both
vocal and orchestrated pieces can be found.
He is able to imitate various instruments and effects with his voice only, his music is very original and full of humour. Yet, the music is never shallow or superficial and he explores the possibilities of tradition and modernity in a well-balanced manner.
He is mostly singing in Medumba, one of the Bamileke languages, that are so well suited for bluesy music.
Gino studied ethnomusicology in Paris (Sorbonne), where he started his stunning success as a vocal "acrobat", performing with numerous artists such as Manu Dibango, Jorge Ben and Papa Wemba, among others. In 2001, he moved to New York, where he performs and where he composes soundtracks.
• Musicians on Song Zin'...:
Gino Sitson (lead vocal, vocal instruments, miscellaneous effects and backing vocals, tracks 1-16)
Tracks 2-4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15:
Carine Bonnefoy (piano),
Noël Ekwabi (bass),
Jean-Baptiste Dobiecki (tenor & soprano sax),
Denis Tchangou (drums, percussion)
Tracks 3, 6, 10, 13:
Valérie Belinga (backing vocals),
Xénia Caraïbe (backing vocals),
Joëlle Esso (backing vocals)
Track 6:
Annabelle Alaga (spontaneous lyrics).
Born: As Pierre-Eugène Sitchet, in Bazou, Ndé Division, West Province, Cameroon
Style: world / jazz / vocal
He is able to imitate various instruments and effects with his voice only, his music is very original and full of humour. Yet, the music is never shallow or superficial and he explores the possibilities of tradition and modernity in a well-balanced manner.
He is mostly singing in Medumba, one of the Bamileke languages, that are so well suited for bluesy music.
Gino studied ethnomusicology in Paris (Sorbonne), where he started his stunning success as a vocal "acrobat", performing with numerous artists such as Manu Dibango, Jorge Ben and Papa Wemba, among others. In 2001, he moved to New York, where he performs and where he composes soundtracks.
• Musicians on Song Zin'...:
Gino Sitson (lead vocal, vocal instruments, miscellaneous effects and backing vocals, tracks 1-16)
Tracks 2-4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15:
Carine Bonnefoy (piano),
Noël Ekwabi (bass),
Jean-Baptiste Dobiecki (tenor & soprano sax),
Denis Tchangou (drums, percussion)
Tracks 3, 6, 10, 13:
Valérie Belinga (backing vocals),
Xénia Caraïbe (backing vocals),
Joëlle Esso (backing vocals)
Track 6:
Annabelle Alaga (spontaneous lyrics).
Born: As Pierre-Eugène Sitchet, in Bazou, Ndé Division, West Province, Cameroon
Style: world / jazz / vocal
Gino Sitson
Discography
| Title | Year | Label | Remarks |
| Echo Chamber | 2019 | Buda Records | |
| Body & Voice | 2016 | Buda Records | |
| VoiStrings | 2014 | Buda Records | |
| Listen - Vocal Deliria II | 2013 | Alessa Records / Universal | |
| Way to go | 2009 | Alessa Records ALR 1011 | |
| Bamisphere | 2005 | Polyvocal Records | |
| Song Zin'... | 2002 | Piranha Records CD-PIR 1682 | Previously released in 2000 |
| Vocal Deliria | 1996 | Polyvocal Records PCR 069 |
Page added May 2002