Denise Jannah

Denise Jannah was born in Suriname, South America. With her family she moved to Holland in the mid seventies. For 4,5 years she studied Law at the University of Utrecht, but her love for music made her change her course: she enrolled into the Conservatory in Hilversum and completed her studies there, also earning her degree as a vocal educator. In 1989 she won third prize at the Internationales Liederfestival "Menschen und Meer" in Rostock, former D.D.R. In that year she also was offered an important part in the musical "A Night at the Cotton Club"in which she starred in 347 performances in Holland, Germany and Belgium. In 1997 Jannah was offered one of the leading parts in "Joe, The Musical". In 1998 Denise Jannah and Marjorie Barnes were the leading ladies in Fats Waller's musical show "Ain't Misbehavin' ", (European Tour). She released several albums, of which three of them on Blue Note Records. Denise Jannah performed 7 times at the North Sea Jazz Festival and toured the world from New York to Johannesberg to Japan and back. Up till now she has won two Edison Awards, the Golden Orpheus (Bulgaria) and the Bata Anastacievic Festival Award (Serbia).
Jannah has performed for Royalty and other heads of states: she performed for Beatrix, Queen of Holland and the late Prince Claus, for leaders of the European Union at the "Eurotop", for presidents Ellen Sirleaf Johnson (Liberia) and Ronald Venetiaan (Suriname), for former president Bill and his wife Hillary Clinton, for the Dutch Crown Prince Willem Alexander and his wife Princess Maxima, for former presidents Kenneth Kaunda (Zambia) and Nelson Mandela, and on separate occasions for Mrs. Graça Machel Mandela and Mrs. Hillary Clinton.
On April 29 2009, Jannah received a Royal Decoration from Her Majesty the Queen of Holland, Beatrix, as 'Ridder in de orde van Oranje Nassau'. This year 2010 started with a interesting tour visiting the Dutch theaters together with the renowned Rosenberg Trio and special guests like US vocalist Dennis Legree: blending Gypsy Swing, Soul and Gospel in the Rosenberg Soul Show! February 13, 2011 a Denise Jannah documentary was broadcasted at Dutch national television. This was filmed at The Bakers Keyboard Lounge in Detroit . May 29, 2011 Denise received the Meer Jazz Award of the Meer Jazz Festival in The Netherlands.