Dynamite singer-songwriter, Jessica Chaz is a performing artist with a unique vocal talent. Now, a Vancouver based beauty, Chaz grew up in Durban, South Africa where her passion for music started out. She formed her first band Seasons during her undergrad in music at UKZN. The band was a hit at various South African venues including the renowned centre for Jazz and Popular music founded by Darius Brubeck, The Ballito Prawn and Jazz Festival, a featured vocalist at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival, headlining various corporate events at the International Convention Centre, with the greatest of the band’s moments taking place at the 2010 Fifa World Cup, in South Africa. She completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Music in 2011.

Shortly after entering the Canadian music scene, she was featured as an artist to watch at the 2014 Mix Showcase in Vancouver. The acoustic version of her 2015 release “Cali” reached over 97K views on Youtube.

In 2018, she released her heartwarming debut EP Dreamin’ which charted on the iTunes Pop Charts at #23 in South Africa and #53 in Canada. The debut music video for Dreamin’ reached over 78K views on YouTube. In 2019, she performed at the Canadian Music Week Festival in Toronto, Canada. Her track “Yes to You” was featured as a sync placement in Isidingo, a popular South Africa TV show (Season 22, Ep 16).

In 2020, she performed “Answer” live for the UKZN Jazz Centre’s Voices against Gender Based Violence virtual fundraiser. The positive response after the concert inspired Chaz to release the live performance on streaming platforms in 2020.

On June 1st 2023, she released a 5-track Remix EP to celebrate the 5 year anniversary of her debut EP, Dreamin’. In December 2023, Chaz dropped her long awaited new EP titled “River”.

With determination and a voice that stays with you, for Jessica, it is undeniable that music is where her purpose lies.

Photo by Karolina Turek