Vocalist Tutu Puoane was born May 31st, 1979 in South Africa as Nontuthuzelo Elaine Puoane. She started playing music professionally in 1997 in down town Johannesburg, South Africa. Tutu studied jazz vocals with Jelena Reveshin, Natasha Roth-Scholfield and Rachel Gould. She has performed extensively in South Africa as well as well as Europe and North America. Tutu has shared the stage with the likes of S'bongile Khumalo, Mark Murphy, Madeline Bell, Georgie Fame, Roy Hargrove, John Engels and Toots Thielemans. Earlier this year Tutu was featured in 'Goddam! Tribute to Dr. Nina Simone' show. Tutu leads her own quartet with Belgian piano player Ewout Pierreux, Dutch bass player Guus Bakker and drummer Jasper van Hulten.