Sacha

"What is it that sets her apart from the wannabes? Youthful spirit; spot-on intonation; phrasing, phrasing, phrasing; the ability to slightly alter a melody and not lose the intent of the composer; and, in the jazz world, that elusive "something" that separates a jazz singer from even a good pop singer."
- George Fendel, Oregon Jazz Society
​

Recognized by music critics, peers, celebrities, and musical legends, Sacha is one of the top jazz artists today. Introduced by the great American entertainer Frankie Laine as his “ingénue,” and as the protégé of the Legendary Red Holloway and James Moody Sacha has opened for and performed with Julio Iglesias, Marvin Hamlisch, Chubby Checker, Ann Hampton Callaway, Patti Austin, James Moody, Karrin Allyson and countless jazz greats throughout her 20 year career.

An innovative and creative entrepreneur, solo artist, musician, producer designer, composer, artist and humanitarian. Sacha has gone from a few U.S. festivals to touring the world and back, to having her recordings hit the top 10 charts in Japan, itunes, e-music, to even receiving several Grammy nods for best Jazz and Latin jazz albums in 2008 and 2013 and designing a peace mural at the US Mexico Border.

Growing up in San Diego, Boutros had music coursing through her veins. Her grandparents instilled a love of music and a facility for composition and harmonies at an early age. Her mother once marveled, “She has been singing from the time she was two.” At four, she’d sit on a pillow for her first piano lessons. She sang in church with her grandfather, who taught her how to play with melodies and harmonies. And, she learned fast, adding songwriting to her piano and vocal skills.

Unbelievably, she didn’t pursue singing as a career until the last year of her studies at the University of San Diego, there on a sports and academic scholarship, playing soccer and tennis. “I finished My business and marketing degree and flipped over to music,” she explained. “I figured you have to try everything once in your life and as Joseph Campbell says follow your bliss, so I did.”

By age 20, Boutros jumped headlong into singing professionally, and watched her burgeoning, ingénue career flourish like a seasoned established veteran in short order. She honed that amazing voice at clubs and festivals around town, including one of her first testing grounds—the Red Fox Room, while taking the local jazz community by storm with her sensual, Latin-kissed vocals. Soon, she would attract the attention of larger crowds outside of San Diego, with a voice that called to mind the glamorous, golden age of Hollywood starlets and tropical Brazilian beaches, an intuitive ability to make any song and any style uniquely her own, perfect pitch, whether scatting or belting, and an amazing, four-octave range. By the time 2006 almost rolled out, Modern Luxury Magazine editors crowned her one of “the hottest music artists to come out of San Diego.”

A major part of Boutros’ appeal is her natural charm, sensual beauty, and an effortless versatility with standards, covers, and originals, opera, jazz, crossing generations. She can sing just about anything, make it a work of art, and reach audiences of all ages.
She sings in 13 languages, speaking five of these languages fluently and a few more proficiently. Trained in classical music and Bel Canto Opera, yet at ease in the world of pop, jazz, and latin jazz, her voice is at once innocent and otherworldly, capable of wrapping itself around the heart of any tune and lingering well after a show has wrapped. She has an effortless, bountiful energy that’s especially fetching with the younger generation, who’ve discovered and embraced jazz through her engaging, fresh, crossover renditions.

2007 brought Boutros to Bruxelles, Belgium for the Young Jazz Singers competition, as a U.S. representative, she was a finalist in the top 10 of this world wide competition. Her September 2008 breakthrough album, “Simply Sacha” — a mix of standards and originals touching on jazz, latin jazz, bossa nova, swing, and pop, and sung in five languages (English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and French) — showcased the singer’s incredible musical and linguistic range, as well as compositional skills. Bruce Lundevall, the late impresario of Blue Note Records, called her the “The Latin Norah Jones,” saying her own compositions of bossa novas in Spanish were “Outstanding and Beautiful.” She wrote half of the songs on this debut album, including one with four-time Grammy winner, Afro-Cuban pianist Chuchito Valdés. In addition to Valdés, the album featured plenty of other top-notch musicians, including Geoffrey Keezer, Red Holloway, Bob Magnusson, Mike Wofford – Sarah Vaughan’s pianist, Peter Sprague and was honored to have Concord Recording Artist and 5 time Grammy-nominee Karrin Allyson providing the liner notes. Boutros would return the favor for Holloway by appearing as a special guest on the saxophonist’s album, “Something Old Something New: Introducing Sacha Boutros,” in 2009, which resulted in a 2009 tour of Japan, winning even more fans. “Simply Sacha” would become the vocalist’s calling card to the world. It was the most downloaded Latin jazz release on emusic.com, was nominated for two Los Angeles Music Awards as “Best Latin Vocal” for her original song, “Amor Imposible,” and “Best Vocal,” hit number seven on the Japanese music charts, enjoyed heavy airplay at Japanese Airlines, and earned a Grammy nod as best new jazz album. To this day, the album’s considered among the top 10 jazz and Latin jazz albums of 2008 in the U.S. and Japan.

While visiting Hawaii two years later, Boutros recorded her first live album, “Sacha, Live In Hawaii” in 2010 at the Waikiki Hawaii Public Radio Atherton Studio. She would release the live album in 2011, in the midst of a major international tour from Bruxelles back to the islands. In 2013 “Sacha: NY After Dark,” Sacha Boutros’ long awaited third Album was released. Featuring and recorded in New York and at Capitol Records in Los Angeles with Jazz greats Lewis Nash, Peter Washington, Terell Stafford, John di Martino and mixed by the legendary 23 Grammy Award winning Al Schmitt at Capitol Records and mastered by Grammy Award winning Ron McMaster.

In her spare time Sacha loves working with the community donating her time since the age of 14 years old to Father Joe Caroll at St. Vincent de Paul Village and various orphanages in Baja California. Following in the footsteps of her Grandmother, Lupe Cazares who founded the San Ysidro Health Centers. “Giving back is second nature to me, like the air that I breath. I grew up rich in love, laughter and joy, my grandparents taught us to share and help the community everyday. Everyone was a friend, a compadre or a compadre and we always lent a hand to everyone in need. Kindness is free, pass it on.”

Sacha uses her voice to fundraise for various charitable organization in San Diego and the United States and England that are dear to her heart. She also loves to sing our countries Nationally Anthem and Mexicos singing for Presidents, Dignitaries, Diplomats and large sporting events.

In 2017 Sacha joined the Border Public Art Committee to lead a project with President Chris Sanchez and Artist Manu Faves and a team of local artists and architects as well as The consulate of Mexico and the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce. She designed a mural at the border of San Ysidro and Tijuana at the main pick up and drop off point where 26,000 people cross each day. It was an homage to her family and the work they did to build up the border town and her grandmother who founded the legacy of one of the largest free healthcare clinics in California. The mural was entitled “ The place where Soles Meet,” and the footprints of people that had crossed the border were traced and painted on the peace mural as a bridge to bring together both sides of the border. “Definitely the place where soles cross and soles meet,” said Boutros, “all twenty-six-thousand, each day.”

Recently Sacha was given 2 great honors in 2016 Jazz Musician of the Year by the SoCal Jazz Society and in 2017 International Jazz Singer of the Year in London. Currently working on her 5th Release in Paris she can be found doing shows in California, Hawaii, New York, London and all points in between. When she’s not writing, performing, or recording, she splits her time between San Diego and Paris and is heavily involved in philanthropic projects close to her heart.