Mica Paris

St Mary's Church, Rye

The Rye International Jazz & Blues Festival is delighted to welcome the incredible Mica Paris and her full band to perform a stunning evening concert at the intimate setting of St Mary's Church, Rye on Monday 31 August at 8.00pm. Mica Paris, the acclaimed Queen of Soul in the UK, boasts an illustrious career filled with chart-topping singles and albums. She also enjoys a robust presence in the realms of theatre and television, earning her a special place in the hearts of the public. Her musical beginnings can be traced back to her grandparents' church, which led her to join The Spirit Of Watts gospel choir. This was a stepping stone to her debut Top 10 hit, “My One Temptation”, released when she was just 18. Mica's success continued as she teamed up with jazz saxophonist Courtney Pine, and together they produced two Top 30 hits. She also joined forces with US soul singer Will Downing to create a track that made it to the UK Top 20. More recently, Mica was awarded an MBE by the Queen—a significant recognition of her contributions to music. She also signed a three-record deal with Warner Music. Beyond her musical achievements, Mica is also an author. In 2007, she wrote a self-help book titled Beautiful Within: Finding Happiness and Confidence in Your Own Skin, offering advice on self-empowerment and self-esteem. “Soul music has become soulless since the high-water mark of the 1960s. Paris reminds us how it used to be” The Times