Caroll Vanwelden

At the age of seven Caroll started her music training playing the classical piano. After a while, it became apparent she had a talent both for music and mathematics, two passions she would combine all through her student years. During her studies she took private courses with top Belgian jazz performer David Linx and the famous American jazz singer Judy Niemack. During that time, Caroll also worked together with the great Peter Girth at the Staatstheater of Darmstadt (Germany) where she wrote a dissertation on 'Artistic freedom or financial waste within the Performing Arts'.
After completing her engineering studies at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in 1994, Caroll was determined to go forward and continue in her ambition as a musician.
She enrolled at the music conservatory of Ghent, where she finished her candidature years and prepared for her entry-examination for the famous London Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Artistic excellence and high quality performance lie at the heart of the Guildhall School's success. Only a limited number of international students are accepted and Caroll was chosen to be one of the ‘privileged ones’. She completed her postgraduate studies at the Guildhall where she graduated magna cum laude in 1998. During that time she worked together with the great Iranian conductor/composer Alexander Rahbari, who was leading the Belgian Philharmonic Orchestra of the National television broadcasting network at that time.
Meanwhile, in 1996, while studying at the conservatory, she sang the role of Lauretta for the CD-release of the musical EXTASY which was written and produced by Alexander Rahbari. This CD was released in 1999 under the "Discover of Koch International" label.
In 1997 Caroll participates at a TV music contest where she reached the finales with the song Calling You from the beautiful movie Bagdad Cafe.
From September 1998 till September 1999, she worked for the Panasonic Technics, where she does the singing on all keyboard demonstrations together with pianist Piet Meersschaut.
Furthermore, she's lead singer on jazz and pop gigs in Belgium and abroad on brunches (in Hilton and Arenberg Hotel in Antwerp and Brussels), big bands, gigs for service clubs like Lions and Rotary, Christmas- and musical concerts, weddings and receptions, backing vocals, fancy fairs, etc... and she teaches singing and music in some private schools (Clavissimo and Ozma).
In January 1999 she creates the cover-group "O-position" with 7 professional jazz musicians, where she's the lead voice and plays the backing-vocals herself with a vocalist (on keyboard). Together with this band, she performed on several music festivals and private parties.
In September 1999 a first single is released : a cover of the TLC song No Scrubs edited by North West featuring Caroll.
In February 2000 she participates again at a TV music contest where she reaches the semi-finals with a reggae version of the song Memory from the musical Cats.
In 2001-2002 as being a member of the group Mezcal with band leader Luiz Marquez, she experiments with ethnical music with a lot of influences from the jazz.
As Caroll gave birth to a little boy and a little girl during 2002 - 2005, she decides to take a rest for a while and starts writing her own songs and lyrics.
In 2006 she started to write songs for her new album Colours and wanted to mix all the influences she had into one CD. There are some fantastic musicians playing on " colours' " like Mike Roelofs, Ron van Stratum, Frank Peeters, Sam Vloemans en Henk de Laat and it is being produced by Salamontes. Salamontes is the creative collective founded by Sam Vloemans and Henk de Laat. The cd colours' will be released in 2008.
While she was working at her new album colours' she did the vocals on Luiz Marquez’s new album and some backing vocals on Enrique Tarde’s new album and in 2008 she started a creative jazz duo project with the great Thailand-based jazz piano player Tars Lootens. In 2006 she also participated at the project LaFrench..
In 2007 she went on a 10-day tour to China (Beijing) with fantastic musicians! They played in great places as the Beijing Jazz Club, the Conservatory of Beijing, the Embassy of the Netherlands and many other places.
2008: release of debut solo full album, colours’.In her debut solo album singer-songwriter Caroll Vanwelden brings an eclectic mix of all influences she encountered in her career as a singer. You strongly feel her passion for Jazz, Latin and Soul, melted with a dash of pop. Some songs are easy listening; others bring you to the dance floor. Her very distinctive style and her perfectionism made it long to go for a solo album. Now the time is ready to release 12 tracks on an album which will make you regret not buying it!
Critic Albert Healemeersch: "Colours’ is a powerful debut of a great singer-composer. A must in your collection!"
As jazz has always been her first love, Caroll Vanwelden recorded at her home studio a collection of exquisite standards for an easy listening compilation of her all-time favourites, which resulted in the new swing jazz album ‘Cheek to Cheek’. Critic Albert Healemeersch: No horns, no violins, just that sober sound that reminds of the real cosy jazz clubs. With some of her friends and top musicians – Dirk Van Der Linden on guitar, Janos Bruneel on double bass, and Stijn Wauters on the piano – vocalist Caroll Vanwelden succeeded in recreating that lovely 1920-30’s sound with just the right retro touch and lots of great swinging moments. As a vocalist Caroll was really made to bring that good old jazzy style.
In March 2010 she performs on the gala of the Belgium-Indian Economic Mission in Mumbaï (India) headed by H.R.H. Prince Philippe of Belgium.
In January 2011 Caroll moves with her family to Germany where she starts composing for her new chalenging project: putting music on 16 Shakespeare Sonnets. She finished the writing in december 2011 and recorded her new album in april 2012. Caroll sings the sonnets and in the mean time plays the piano and together with her musicians Thomas Siffling (tr,flughelh), Mini Schulz (double bass) and Markus Faller (dr,perc), she brings you in the different atmospheres and soundcolours of Shakespeare's wonderful world.
The new album "Caroll Vanwelden Sings Shakespeare Sonnets" is coming out in october 2012 and will be officially released the 6 of November during the Enjoy Jazz Festival in Mannheim but you can already hear some samples here.
Caroll has played with a lot of great musicians like: Thomas Siffling, Mini Schulz, Markus Faller, Phill Pesket (Molokko), Victoria Freestone, Jez Franks, Rob Mullarky (Seven), Johan Sabbe, Dirk Van der Linden , Henk de Laat (Enrique Tarde), Jean Van Lindt (The Swing Dealers), Vincent Mardens (The Swing Dealers), Tars Lootens, Piet Meerschaut, Chris Mentens, Swa Mercelis, Johan Joris, Lieven Cambré, Stijn Deldaele, Mike Roelofs, Ron van Stratum, Frank Peeters, Sam Vloemans, Luiz Marquez, Dominique Vantomme, Geert Roelofs, Peter Hermesdorf, Marc Huynen, Rogier Van Wegberg, Arie Storm, Jan Mües, Mario Vermandel, Luc Van den Bossche, Stijn Wauters, Janos Bruneel, Hans Van Oost, Andrew Cleyndert, Jan De Haas, Tom Mahieu,... and many more......