Soweto Kinch

Soweto Omar Kinch is an internationally acclaimed British jazz saxophonist, composer, and MC, recognised for his innovative fusion of contemporary jazz and hip-hop. A Mercury Music Prize nominee for his debut album Conversations with the Unseen, Kinch has developed a body of critically praised, concept-driven work including A Life in the Day of B19, The New Emancipation, The Legend of Mike Smith, and The Black Peril (2024). A multiple MOBO Award and BBC Radio Jazz Award recipient, he has performed extensively at major international jazz venues and festivals worldwide and remains a leading voice in socially engaged, forward-thinking jazz. Beyond recording and performance, he is an active broadcaster, educator, and cultural commentator, with work spanning BBC Radio, theatre, and multimedia performance.

Born in London and raised in Birmingham, Kinch began his musical studies on clarinet before switching to saxophone at the age of nine. He later studied Modern History at Hertford College, Oxford University, an academic background that continues to inform his concept-driven work exploring history, identity, and social consciousness through music.

Kinch first gained international attention with his debut album, Conversations with the Unseen (2003), which received a Mercury Music Prize nomination. He has since released a series of critically acclaimed projects, including A Life in the Day of B19: Tales of the Tower Block, The New Emancipation, The Legend of Mike Smith, and The Black Peril (2024), each demonstrating a commitment to artistic innovation, storytelling, and genre-expanding jazz practice.

A recipient of multiple MOBO Awards for Best Jazz Act, BBC Radio Jazz Awards, and the Montreux Jazz Festival’s White Foundation International Saxophone Competition, Kinch has performed extensively at leading jazz venues and festivals worldwide, including Ronnie Scott’s, the Royal Festival Hall, and major international jazz festivals across Europe and North America.

In addition to performance and recording, Kinch is an experienced broadcaster, educator, and cultural advocate, with ongoing work for BBC Radio and in theatre and multidisciplinary performance. His work aligns strongly with contemporary programming priorities around innovation, diversity, audience development, and artistic excellence.

Soweto Kinch continues to create and present compelling jazz projects that engage audiences intellectually and emotionally while advancing the art form.