Kaya Nicole Ensemble

The Kaya Nicole ensemble includes musicians from Westchester County and New York City, and is available as a seven piece group: lead vocals, drum kit, bassist, pianist, guitarist- as well as saxophone and trumpet soloists. We perform both contemporary and classic arrangements of straight ahead, bossa nova, blues, swing, bebop and soul. With notice, we can add percussion, as well as additional vocalists and horn soloists.

We perform everywhere from jazz festivals to private garden events, wineries to weddings, providing an extravagant and sensual musical experience for any occasion.

With inquiries, please email: (email hidden)

Kaya Nicole with her capricious curls and city savor-faire, is a queer coquette with a deep love for the groove. A witty storyteller of black american fiction and fable and a young jazz vocalist, Kaya began private lessons in grade school for musical theory and composition, as well as guitar, voice and piano performance. She kicked off her touring experience as an 18 year old babe in her high school gospel choir, touring through Venice, Florence, and Rome(Vatican). She would go on to perform a multi city tour as an opener with rock and roll star Rick Springfield. Through her travels, she learned to speak Spanish and Portuguese with astonishing fluency.

Kaya is a New York native from a creative household. Her father was a grammy award winning R&B singer and producer, and her siblings are all in the arts. Her rhythmic vocal style reminds one of the dynamic Carmen Miranda or Elis Regina, with a robust low end the likes of Lauryn Hill and Sarah Vaughan. Kaya performs jazz, neo soul, folk, blues, bossa nova and hip hop, and has been known to break into rap at least once a show to pay homage to her New York roots. A part of the neo soul scene of Harlem, and the jazz scene of New Orleans, she has performed with known local acts such as DJ Liqwuid and the Uptown Lovhers, Gene's Music Machine, Kumasi Afrobeat Orchestra, as well as her own outfits, Samba Soul and the Kaya Nicole quartet. Her band has regularly performed at venues like Marigny Brasserie, RFs and Maison in New Orleans, as well as The Shrine, Silvana and Rockwood Music Hall in New York.

Kaya studied political theory at the University of Virginia, where she was a part of the University Choir(U-Singers), the campus Opera Company(Opera Viva), and the first National Hip-Hop Cappella group(Remix). She published a poetry book in 2016 called: "It's Going to Rain in the Place," available on Amazon, and a theory essay questioning the legal standard of rationality entitled: "The Myth of the Reasonable Man,” in UVA's undergraduate research journal. This year(2021), Kaya releases a solo acoustic album called “Moody: A Selection of Songs for Everyday Sadness,” as well as an exciting new fusion project: “Tracing the Diaspora” with New York and Westchester based musicians.
Romantic at heart, dramatic to the bone, an intellectual feminist with a smooth, and mellow tone, Kaya likes to spend her free time apple picking and sipping cider in upstate New York. She enjoys a good puttanesca and her favorite drink is the old fashioned.

Upon booking, please provide a document with all backline information for the venue.