Hello,

My name is Karen James. I am an African-American dancer, singer and pianist from the United States who comes from a musical family. I am the founder of a small artist's collective called “Art & Bien-Être-Small is Beautiful” located in Liège, Belgium.

LINKS to brochure, Concert & Events:

Art & Bien-Être - Small is Beautiful (on-line, animated brochure)

Karen James - Music, Videos, Biography, etc. (CONCERT/EVENT INFO, Music videos)

Karen James - Dance (Dance videos)

Although I hold a degree in music, my true apprenticeship was singing in the Black Church in America. My uncle Talley Beatty was a choreographer for the original dancers who accompanied Duke Ellington during his shows (in the 40s and 50s) and my parents grew up on the South Side of Chicago with Joe Williams, whose name is synonymous with the Blues. I love music and I have it in my blood.

If you’ve never heard of Joe Williams, Talley Beatty or Duke Ellington or you don't know where the South Side of Chicago is, then you are the perfect person to ask to fund my project!

For more than 20 years I’ve been singing Soul, Blues and Jazz from the purest of the African-American tradition, yet I find that African-American women and our composers, in general, who have a unique, authentic voice are still greatly underrepresented at festivals and other musical events. It’s still very hard for talented, cultural artists across the African diaspora to be heard or earn their living as singers, composers and musicians.

As far as women in Jazz are concerned, most people don’t have any idea of our past and present contributions. In addition, most people have no idea about our strong and wonderful connection to other Africans in the Diaspora, especially how we are linked to our cousins, the Afro-Brazilians.

We at “Art & Bien-Être – Small is Beautiful” would like to create a link and toss a life-line to authentic artists from across the African diaspora who have a unique voice which is steeped in an ancient African tradition. It’s for this reason that we are asking you to fund our project. We want to not only give a voice to talented, lesser-known artists, but also to share with the world the richness of African culture found throughout the diaspora.

But we need your help. We are a small collective with no corporate or other funding. That means that we can do what’s in our hearts and follow our dreams. But it also means that we count on people like you to help us keep our dreams alive as well as those of other artists.

We’d like for more people in the world to experience the feeling that one gets when they hear an authentic artist with a unique voice during a LIVE performance. And we’d like for people of all economic levels to be able to share this experience, not just festival goers who can afford to pay €50+ for tickets. Although festivals can provide a wonderful means for artists to be heard, it’s not enough and we’re asking you to help us to do more.

I recently played at the Jazz Festival in Liège, Belgium and it was a wonderful experience. So, I know that sometimes festivals can be a great way for artists to have good working conditions and get paid. But nothing replaces an intimate setting. And there are many talented artists who have long periods of time with no work between festivals.

I personally know some extremely talented people who have to travel by car from Italy to Holland to do one gig because they are not “known”. Even artists who are famous like Roy Ayers have sometimes been known to travel from the United States to Georgia (former USSR) to play for one night.

So, that’s why we are asking for your support!

We’re planning two events for the 24th of May 2018 at a venue in Liège, Belgium.

1. A workshop about the great African-American women of Jazz and the Afro-Brazilian connection. In this workshop we will talk about roots and history of Jazz from an Afro-American perspective, as well as to give musical demonstrations, etc. We will also delve into the Afro-Brazilian connection to the music through dance, language, music and chant.

2. A concert celebrating and honoring African-American women in Jazz and Afro-Brazilian Music.

With your help we can offer the public a wonderful evening of music with the kind of feeling that brings people together across all lines and borders. Your support will allow us to rent a beautiful space, buy equipment, get paid for performing and organizing the event, as well as to offer the public a great evening of music without having to charge music festival prices for tickets.

Here is the link where you can watch videos, read my biography, etc. My style is authentic and varied. I sing ballads, Jazz, "old school R & B" (which I believe is "Soul Music"), as well as Blues. This music inspires the public to dance and sing. When I play in a cafe the music is relaxing.

LINK CONCERT/EVENT INFO, Music videos:

Karen James - Music, Videos, Biography, etc.

I play solo or with a band. I have toured the USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Scandinavia, etc.

Please support and give generously!!!!

Celebrating African-American Women in Jazz and the Afro-Brazilian Connection