About me

when Vocal Jazz tells stories of diversity and appreciation

Simone Helle - Foto aus Video by Hoehnerbach

Photo from a video by Höhnerbach, Duisburg

I am Simone Helle.
As a jazz vocalist, composer, lyricist and bandleader, my melodic modern jazz is shaped by very particular moods and sounds through which I express what lies close to my heart.

My music is inspired by swing, gospel, funk and world music and moves somewhere between Indra Rios-Moore and Dianne Reeves. With voice, piano, bass, percussion, drums – and sometimes santur and tombak – earthy vocal jazz arrangements meet light, floating sounds that open up multifaceted sonic worlds and express emotions in their many forms.

Beyond the music, it is important to me that my concerts create a space where people in all their diversity feel welcome and accepted with equal appreciation. My band and I bring the stories of life that I share in my concerts to life through different musical styles and expressions. With floating rhythms, delicate sounds and gentle vocal tones, with archaic drum- and percussion-driven arrangements and powerful vocals, or with gospel-inspired pieces, we take the audience through a wide range of moods: from tender to joyful, from sadness to excitement, from optimism to gratitude – and the feeling of being seen as part of something greater.

Even today, factors such as skin colour, gender, origin, religion or age still influence social acceptance, life circumstances and opportunities for success. Feeling excluded in any way can create deep insecurity. Experiencing social boundaries can bring sadness, anger or discouragement. In some cases, it may even lead to depression.

Raised in Germany with Persian roots,

I, too, have often felt a glass ceiling that kept me down despite great effort. Because of this, I can deeply relate to experiences of not being accepted or of feeling excluded.

That is why in my lyrics I seek to encourage people to believe in themselves and to break through that glass ceiling. I appeal for a culture of appreciation and respect that acknowledges differences without trying to erase them; a way of living together that stands for tolerance and respects our democratic achievements and the values of human rights. BECAUSE:

Music is a universal language, and the love of music connects us beyond all boundaries!

A Rollercoaster Journey to Music

Photo: private

Even as a small child, I was fascinated by music. At the age of five, I presented my mother with a choice: “Either I’m allowed to go to school or I learn to play the piano!” The piano it was. I did end up going to school as well, of course … Music gradually took on a bigger and bigger role in my life – from singing in the school choir to playing piano in the school jazz band.

Two concert visits as a teenager brought jazz more and more into my focus: one by Lionel Hampton with his big band and another by Udo Lindenberg with his Panikorchester.

At that time, however, I was not yet aware that my real instrument was my voice. Uncertainty and self-doubt led me to follow the advice of my mother, who came from a rural background, and first study something completely unrelated: agriculture. Yet through a fellow student, music remained part of my life even then – if only during study breaks: he played the guitar, and I sang.

The wake-up call

But that was about to change:
A wake-up call in the truest sense brought singing fully into my life. I owe my first larger public singing performance to that very fellow student, who simply could not understand why singing should only play a minor role in my life.

After a long night of partying, he called me at half past four in the morning and said: “You HAVE to come and sing with my band at our town festival!” Said and done. So I sent my musician friend the sheet music for two songs in advance (including a Tina Turner song).

A new era in my life begins
After the rehearsal with the very kind band on the evening before the performance – a peculiar mixture of excitement and the striving for perfection – I felt the power of my voice for the first time the next day in the sunshine on a market square packed with people: like a force of nature. As if I had tasted Asterix’s magic potion. What an incredible feeling of strength and boundless life energy!

Overwhelmed by this experience, the realization struck me like lightning that this was exactly where I belonged. Because standing on stage as a singer filled me with a deep inner happiness, and I knew: “This is exactly what I want to do with my life!” Less than a year later, my great wish came true: I was performing concerts as a singer.

Photo: Haller Tagblatt

Time to pause

Simone Helle - Foto aus Video by Bernd Uhlen

Photo from a video by Bernd Uhlen

Exhausted, discouraged and eventually ill

Although my great wish of performing concerts as a singer had come true with my own quartet as well as various smaller ensembles, and I had already released my first album, the situation of being solely responsible for organising all the concerts had left me completely exhausted.

On top of that, I wanted to bring more of my own repertoire to the stage, and people kept asking about a second album that I had not yet released. All of this made me lose heart.

Then a serious illness brought everything to a standstill. I could neither sing nor was I able to exert myself in any way. During several years of therapy and recovery, I was able to reorganise my life and reflect on what my true calling might be.

At the end of the therapy, my doctor discharged me with the words: “From now on, you only do what brings you joy!” These words truly spoke to my heart, because I realised that I needed to listen more closely to my inner voice and do what felt important and right for me, without bending myself out of shape or making false compromises.

Step by step, I began to change certain things in my life and increasingly focused on my own music and lyrics.

My vision

The insights I gained during this time away helped me understand more clearly what my concerts should be:

They should be a place where stories are told through diverse sonic worlds – a space for mutual appreciation, for the peaceful coexistence of diversity, one that acknowledges differences within a shared framework of values and speaks of the many possibilities that lie within each of us.

Because for me music is not just art – it is a bridge:
between people, between worlds, and between everything that makes us human.

And if you would like to follow the next steps of my musical journey, feel free to sign up for my newsletter HERE. I look forward to welcoming YOU!

Foto: Kurt Rade