ENGLISHbio
Mina Agossi, whose mother is from France and whose father is from Benin, began her career as the protege of Archie Shepp. In her youth, she lived with her mother in Niger, Morocco and the Ivory Coast. She began her career as a theater student.
In 1993 she sang in a Swing- and New Orleans Jazz Band, "Steamboat 4rtet", and in 1994 with "Gilles, Mina etc..." she recorded her 1rst album : "Les Pantalons Gris" in 1993 and toured in France, Switzerland, Sweden and Ireland...
She became the vocalist of the “Spirit Of Life Ensemble” of New York and worked with Ted Curson (Trumpet player of Charles Mingus and Eric Dolphy) and Daoud David Williams band leader, after a while she decided to sing under her own name, composing her songs and developing her very proper style, based on drums and bass only.
Her Jazz became a mixture of different musical influences such as Chanson Française, or / and Rock, Pop Music.
Aside from her compositions, she turned out to be an amazing interpreter of jazz or pop standards such as Monk's "Well You Needn't", Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child", Pink Floyd's "Money" and The Beatles 's "And I Love Her".
After the album "Voice & Bass" in 1997, she recorded "Alchemi" in 1999 with Philippe Combelle (one of the best be-bop French drummer), she became increasingly famous in the French Jazz Scene and in the United States.
She's toured over a period of 10 years with Archie Shepp's combo (Tom Mc Clung, Wayne Dockery, Steve Mac Raven), developing Monk's repertoire.
She's recorded "Carrousel" (which became "Zaboum!!!" under Candid Records signature few years after),
In 2001, "EZ Pass to Brooklyn" was recorded with Alexander Hiele (Bass) und Bertrand Perrin (Drums) in New York, just after the September 11 attacks. This album was a stylistic blend of Hip-Hop and R&B. Since her album "Well You Needn't" (2005), she performed for Candid Records inviting Ichiro Onoe (Drums) and Eric Jacot (Bass).
She presented her album “Who Wants Love” in 2007, then "Simple Things" – with the guest Manolo Badrena on percussions in 2008.
During that period she toured a lot in the USA (Blue Note in New York., Tanglewood Fest, Chicago Afro Fest, the Shullers in Boston....)
In 2010 Naïve records produced "Just Like a Lady" with special guest guitarist Phil Reptil and Andy Narell on steel drums.
She's then performed with Ahmad Jamal, and got more and more considered as one of a major international Jazz Vocalists.
In the meantime, she recorded "Red Eyes"- in 2011 by Naïve, inviting Archie Shepp on it, as a very special guest on saxophone, but also the piano,
then "Fresh" was self-produced in 2014 with Paco Sery on percussions as a guest,
and finaly "Urbafrika" (a tribute to Benin), another and last self-produced album with Jean Adagbenon on the drums.
In 2018 Ahmad Jamal invited her on his album "Marseille". She’s translated his lyrics and sang with him on live shows.
Mina Agossi's performed many different times on the 5 continents, and in the best venues or events such as Palais des Congres in Paris, Mexico Festival, Tokyo, Benin,….
Lately she met Marc Charrière (ex-keyboard and electro musician performing for Peter Gabriel, or Eddy Mitchell and his band Age7 with Fabien Miedzianowski guitar player and composer. They’ve decided to work together and create a connection between jazz and electro music on a new album “Lonely Whales”, produced by Alchimie in 2023.
Mina Agossi was nominated for the ADAMI in 2005 and for the Victoires du Jazz in 2006. She's had the Awarness serie of Jazz Education and award for Outstanding Jazz Performance for IAJE in 2008
She's an Honorary Citizen of Bayonne New Jersey,In December 2010 she was knighted as a Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite by the Minister of CUlture Frédéric Mittérand.
en 2017, she's received the Feminin Price of the HCBE monde du Benin (Diaspora World Wide association).
Jean-Henri Meunier made a documentary on Mina Agossi for Arte TV
“Mina Agossi Une Voix Nomade”
https://vimeo.com/30421102
Pina Bausch decided to choose one of Mina Agossi ‘s on Sweet Mambo creation at “Le Théâtre du Chatelêt” in 2008 and now 2023/24.