Home » Jazz Musicians » Jacintha

Jacintha

Jacintha - vocalist Jacintha Abisheganaden, was born on 3 October 1957, in Singapore, Malaysia. Jacintha's Chinese mother sang and played the piano and her Sri Lankan father played classical guitar and was also interested in jazz guitar. She studied piano and voice from her early teens and also sang in the Singapore Youth Choir. After winning a local television talent contest, Talentime, she attended the National University of Singapore, graduating with an honors degree in English, and then went to America where she studied creative writing at Harvard University. Jacintha remained in the USA for a little while, including a spell in Hawaii where she formed her own band. Back in Singapore, she developed a career in the theatre, playing dramatic and musical roles. Jacintha made several albums that did not reach far outside of Singapore, including “Jacintha,” (1983) “Tropicana,” (1987) and “Dramamama.” (1991) During the 90s she also worked in duo with the composer Dick Lee, to whom she was married from 1992-97. The couple had first met in the 70s when both were members of the Singapore Youth Choir and he later worked as composer and/or producer on her 80s albums. In the 90s she starred in his first Asian operetta, Nagaland, and played leading roles in several stage shows, including a Singapore production of Cats. By now, fully established as a singer and actress in Singapore, Jacintha began to attract wider attention. She broke into the US scene through personal appearances and a pair of well-received jazz albums for Groove Note Records in the late 90s. On one, “Here's To Ben,” (’99) she paid tribute to tenor saxophonist Ben Webster, while “Autumn Leaves,” (2000) was devoted to the lyrical genius of Johnny Mercer. For these recording sessions she was teamed with top-flight jazz players, including Teddy Edwards. She continued her output with “Lush Life,” (2002) “Jacintha Is Her Name, (2003) and her 2004 effort of “The Girl From Bossa Nova.” Jacintha sings with intimate charm, developing softly seductive melodic lines with an easy, relaxed swing. To date she has released thirteen albums. After a 3 year absence from the recording studio, Jacintha returns with a new album in 2007 titled “Jacintha Goes to Hollywood.” On the new release, the singer from performs nine classic songs from the movies with help from a group of jazz all stars and arrangements by guitarist Anthony Wilson and pianist Iskandar Ismail.

Read more

Tags

353
Album Review

Jacintha: Jacintha Goes to Hollywood

Read "Jacintha Goes to Hollywood" reviewed by Michael P. Gladstone


Singer Jacintha (Abisheganaden) was born in Singapore to Chinese/Sri Lankan parents in 1957. She eventually began recording, and established a reputation as both a singer and actor in Southeast Asia. Signing a contract with Groove Note Records in 1999, she became a more familiar musical name to North American listeners for the first time..

Jacintha Goes to Hollywood is an easy listening jazz vocal album with the studied influence of singers like Julie London and Astrud ...

216
Album Review

Jacintha: Jacintha Goes to Hollywood

Read "Jacintha Goes to Hollywood" reviewed by Woodrow Wilkins


When seeking jazz, Malaysia isn't likely to be on many people's lists of possible sources. Yet that is where vocalist Jacintha hails from. Born Jacintha Abisheganaden in 1957, to a Chinese mother who sang and Sri Lankan father who played classical guitar, Jacintha got into music at an early age. Her experiences included periods with the Singapore Youth Choir as well as leading several solo albums. To date, she has recorded thirteen albums as a lead vocalist. Jacintha ...

121
Album Review

Jacintha: Lush Life

Read "Lush Life" reviewed by Dave Nathan


This singer from Singapore grows with each album she cuts, and she continues her development on her third for the Groove Note label. Jacintha has for the first time added a bevy of silky strings to the instrumental backdrop on some tracks to augment the contributions of rhythm, flugelhorn and accordion. The program is made up OF well known standards. But they are given a reworking by the fresh arrangements of pianist Bill Cunliffe and certainly by the husky, smokey, ...

195
Album Review

Jacintha: Autumn Leaves: The Songs Of Johnny Mercer

Read "Autumn Leaves: The Songs Of Johnny Mercer" reviewed by Jim Santella


For her sixth album, Jacintha pays homage to songwriter Johnny Mercer. Her warm, clear, delicate approach to storytelling enables the vocalist to deliver each favorite song in a comfortable manner with intimacy and charm. From Singapore, Jacintha has also had experience as an actress, enabling her to put herself into each situation as appropriate. A small ensemble culled from L.A.’s finest jazz accompanists backs her.

Jacintha is at her best when incorporating her impeccable enunciation on “I Remember You" and ...

Read more articles

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Best Of

Unknown label
2008

buy

Jacintha Goes to...

Groove Note Records
2008

buy

Jacintha Goes To...

Groove Note
2007

buy

Love Flows Like A...

Harmony Records
2005

buy

The Girl From Bossa...

Unknown label
2004

buy

Videos

Similar

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.