Sara Afnya

Born in Taranto (Puglia, IT) in 1984, biologist and great lover of singing from an early age, Sara is an Alto with warm, deep and black shades, and a great passion for all music with Afro-American roots, from blues, soul, jazz, rhythm'n'blues and funk up to gospel and reggae, as well as for vocal improvisation and experimental vocal experiences.
She moved to Rome (IT) to start her studies at the university and, since 2008 she participated in several jam sessions, coming into contact with live music and singing on a stage for the first time. Sara started her live music experience by collaborating with several Roman bands, including the blues rock band "Johnny on The Rise", the soul band "Sunny Street", the reggae band "Firegang", as well as joining the All Over Gospel Choir, a contemporary (...) Mehr anzeigengospel choir with which she sang in all the most cool and historical music places of Rome, from clubs like the Big Mama to theaters like Teatro Orione.
In 2010, she started studying vocal technique with the soul singer Fulvio Tomaino. In the same year, she recorded in Taranto (Puglia, IT) the world music single "Di Seta e di Amianto", joining the project "Musica contro l'Inquinamento" -Music Against Pollution- produced by the RecoReco Hub label and in collaboration with several professional Apulian musicians, including Fido Guido, Mimmo Gori and Marco Schnabl. Moreover, in 2012, she approached jazz through participation in vocal improvisation workshops held by the jazz singer Stefania Patanè at the iMusic School of Rome, with who she started studying music theory and jazz singing.
She joined numerous jazz singing masterclasses and workshops, including those of Bob Stoloff, Kees Kool and Rhiannon of the Voicestra by Bobby McFerrin, Sullivan Fortner and Ameen Saleem, Titta Nesti, and many workshop of world music vocal improvisation and gospel around Italy, getting closer and falling in love with the world of Circle Songs.
Since 2013 she has been collaborating with the Italian reggae singer Germana Rastalady and the Shanty band alongside them in various shows, including the opening of the concert of the Jamaican singer Dawn Penn in Rome (IT). In 2013, she recorded a dub single for the Zuingo Studio label, included in Fido Guido's album "Screams From Iron City-vol.1".
She moved to Siena (Tuscany, IT) in 2014 and joined the Siena Jazz Foundation, where she studies jazz singing with the jazz singer Romina Capitani. In 2015, she continued her music education studying music theory with the jazz trumpeter Mariano Di Nunzio and music ensemble with the jazz saxophonist Silvia Bolognesi. From 2015 to 2018 she was a member of the vocal improvisation choir "Vocalibre" with the jazz singer Maria Laura Bigliazzi. Furthermore, in 2015 she contributed to the foundation of an amateur gospel choir in Tuscany (IT), the Pray For Change Gospel Choir of Siena, where she covered the role of choir vocal coach, and she participated also as soloist and choral vocalist. From 2016 to 2018, she founded the Relusa Trio and Southern Wind bands playing around the Tuscany (IT) with professional musicians such as Luigi Genise, Renzo Franchi, Aldo Viti and Marco Tosi.
In 2018 she moved to Munich (DE) where she joined new projects singing with local rock blues bands and the professional choir "Gospelchor St. Lukas". In 2019, she flew to France to record some of her unreleased singles with reggae dub arrangements at 129H STUDIO in Paris with saxophonist Fédérik Dezé for the Stoici'n Dub label.
Moved to Basel at the end of 2020, she is now looking for new projects and new inspirations. She is looking for musicians to create a soul/blues/jazz duo/trio, as well as singers for an a cappella vocal ensemble. Last but not least, she is open to the possibility to join existing blues, soul and funky bands and gospel choirs. Weniger anzeigen