Jazz vocalist Pauline Jean is releasing her sophomore album entitled NWAYO on May 26, 2016, marked by an inaugural performance at the Baruch Performing Arts Center’s Engelman Recital Hall in New York City.

NWAYO (pronounced n-wah-yo) is a Haitian Creole word that refers to the hardest part of the fruit, or the core, and aptly represents Jean’s deep reflection from her most recent body of work. Through compositions and arrangements, Jean passionately reveals her personal narrative and explores the fusion between tradition and modernity by blending jazz with Haitian rhythms and tonalities. The recording showcases a diverse repertoire that is not often captured in a single recording. Jean’s velvety contralto creates a powerful sense of emotion and liberation that transcends language barriers.

The album features Pauline Jean (vocals), Axel Laugart (piano), Jonathan Michel (bass), Godwin Louis (alto sax), Jean Caze (trumpet), Obed Calvaire (drums), Markus Schwartz (percussion), and Jean Mary Brignol (percussion).