Michaela Harrison, Jazz Vocalist comes to Twins Jazz Club on Sat., Aug. 20 at 9pm & 11pm sets
Michaela A. Harrison is a New Orleans-based vocalist who has performed nationally and internationally in theatrical productions, with various bands and musical collectives and with the all-female trio Mother Tongue. Since the disbanding of Mother Tongue in 2008, Michaela has established an ever-growing following as a solo artist at local venues such as Sweet Lorraine's Jazz Club, where she is featured weekly during Sunday brunch, the Juju Bag Café, where she sings on Friday evenings, Kermit Ruffins' bar, Sidney's Saloon, and Ashé Cultural Arts Center, where she performs regularly and leads a monthly community sing. While comfortable with a full band, a choir or an orchestra, Michaela often sings with a guitar as her only accompaniment, working regularly with Brazilian virtuoso Márcio Pereira and local favorite Todd Duke.Holding a Bachelor's Degree in Foreign Service and a Master's in Africana Studies, Michaela has also studied and lived in East Africa and Brazil. Fluent in French and Portuguese, and familiar with Spanish and Swahili, Michaela has an expanded repertoire of world music and renders songs in their original language. She infuses her performances with insightful commentary based on her multi-cultural perspective, simultaneously uplifting and educating audiences.
Michaela has performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on several occasions, with John Boutté, Kermit Ruffins, Bill Summers, Percussion, Inc. and Kumbuka African Drum and Dance Ensemble, as well as at the Essence Festival with Mother Tongue. She has also sung at venues in Washington, DC, New York, Atlanta and California.
International performances have included festivals, clubs and private events in Brazil, Jamaica, France, Germany, Italy, England, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Since 2008, she has appeared in three theatrical productions: "Rent" at Le Petit Theatre in the French Quarter, "The Women of Brewster Place" at Anthony Bean Theater and "Swimming Upstream," which recently played to packed houses at The Mahalia Jackson Theatre in New Orleans and the Apollo in Harlem. She has recorded with members of Sweet Honey in the Rock, Bill Summers/Los Hombres Calientes and, most recently, Kermit Ruffins. She and Kermit perform the classic duet "Baby It's Cold Outside" on his 2009 Christmas CD, "Have A Crazy Cool Christmas," which attracted nationwide acclaim. Michaela's first "solo" CD, "Love's Divine," was released July 1, 2010.
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