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.
“South Africa, here is a real jazz singer” Don Albert, South Africa
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).
On top of her collaborative work as an artist, projects include mentoring up and coming singer-songwriters and composers in pre-production and conducting workshops and masterclasses in singing and song writing.
Towards the end of 2018, sound designer and educator Jonathan Eato recorded Estelle singing and playing her new material at York University. There are plans to release these songs as a solo album later this year.
singer, songwriter, pianist Estelle Kokot took her solo show The Jazz Feminine in Africa to South Africa during August & September 2016. It had women’s month at the core and featured female songwriters from Joni Mitchell to Nina Simone, as well her own work. SAFM featured a live recording of the show.
Estelle performed at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival in 2015, with Chicago born saxophonist Chico Freeman and launched an album they recently recorded in Cape Town called The Sound of You. It featured South African jazz greats, Herbie Tsoaeli on bass and Kevin Gibson on drums.
During the past five years, Estelle has appeared at The Orbit in Johannesburg 6 times, The State Theatre African Jazz & Music Nights, Arts Alive Festival in Johannesburg, The Crypt in Cape Town, UKZN in KwaZulu Natal, Port Elizabeth Opera House and the music college at Fort Hare University amongst others.
Estelle also conducted jazz vocal and song writing master classes at UCT, UKZN, Fort Hare University, and Central Johannesburg College
“Such narratives demand thoughtful phrasing and perfect diction as well as a melodious voice. On all counts Kokot delivers. She has produced the kind of album that could become addictive.” Gwen Ansell Business Day
Estelle performed with UK cellist Kate Shortt at the London Jazz Festival in November 2016 and they presented their show at The Pheasantry and The Vortex.
Estelle is currently composing music for choirs based on South African activist Eugene Skeef’s poetry.
“If you want to hear a genuine innovator with a creative twist on Jazz vocals include Estelle Kokot” London Jazz Festival
‘She is the queen of nuance, understands the power of dramatic expression when sincerely delivered and crashes through the barriers of convention with disarming honesty, then delivers the unbelievable. Do yourself a favour. Find out where she’s performing next and catch a plane.’
Going Places – Gisele Turner
ESTELLE KOKOT 