Roella

So far, In 2023 Roella has performed with her piano trio at the NAMM show in Anaheim, California and at Capitol Turnaround in Washington DC as a featured artist of the SHEROCKS 2023 showcase. As a pianist, this year I represented Berklee’s Jazz and Gender Justice Institute at the RENO JAZZ FESTIVAL in Reno, Nevada, the Detroit Jazz Festival Collegiate competition in Detroit, Michigan,  and headlined with Terri-Lyne Carrington’s band as part of BAMSfest 2023.

Last year, she won the ISJAC (International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers) prize for Emerging Black Composers. In May 2022, she travelled to Austin, Texas to accept the award and perform with the 17-piece jazz orchestra that was provided. In November 2022, Roella booked and completed a London Mini-tour with her trio from Berklee that coincided with the London Jazz Festival. The 3 biggest of the 5 show dates; The Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall, a Late Late Show at Ronnie Scott’s and a lunch-time show at The Pizza Express Soho were all sold out. The tour also coincided with the release of her first EP ,”Sentient Sounds.”

Whilst at Berklee, Roella has received tutelage from exceptional professors such as NEA Jazz Masters Terri Lyne-Carrington and Joanne Brackeen and Grammy nominated saxophonist Tia Fuller. In Spring 2022, she studied with Esperanza Spalding at Harvard as part of Spalding’s Black Improvisational Music and Dance class. One of her most notable Berklee opportunities, was performing with Berklee’s Jazz and Gender Justice Institute on WGBH’s “Basic Black” TV show in Fall 2019.” 

Over the course of the pandemic, she was a BBC Young Musician 2020 Semi-finalist, a Jazz South UK grant recipient, appeared on Decca Records’, “Alone Together” Jazz piano album, on British TV as part of “Jazz 625, the British Jazz Explosion” and released her first single entitled “Sacrificial Lamb”.

Instagram: @roellaoloromusic

Twitter: @Rella_xo

Facebook: Roella Jazzisrealmusic Oloro