Caro Manins

Caro Manins aka Carolina Moon, is a UK-born multi-faceted singer, composer and performer, whose diverse project palette reflects the many colours of her musical spirit, drawing inspiration from medieval and traditional world musics and contemporary jazz.  She has performed across New Zealand, the Greater Pacific, Australia, the UK and Europe, India and China. 

Caro has walked a personal and intimate path through the lore and traditions of medieval and world song, travelling through the spiritual heartlands of Spain, India and France. She sings in many multi-lingual contexts, including songs in Ladino, Medieval Spanish derivatives, French, Medieval French, Greek, Gaelic and English. Her Sephardic CD Mother Tongue has received critical acclaim and has toured nationally and internationally.

Currently studying for a Doctorate in Music, Carolina's research interests sit at the intersection of Medieval music and improvised practices; her original work synthesises her love of European Contemporary Music with Medieval traditions. Caro is also a passionate Manoucher (French gypsy swing) with an immensely talented band, La Luna & the Gadjos where they all get to let their hair down!  

Carolina was born on the wild west coast of England into a musical family. She trained in jazz in Liverpool and London, cutting her teeth on the London jazz scene of the 90's. She toured with John Taylor, Norma Winston and the Guildhall Big Band, and worked in many other projects. The sounds and flavours she absorbed at this time underpin her jazz aesthetic and her artistic benchmark to this day.

Moving to Sydney in the Noughties where she lived and performed for 10 years, she released the first of her CDs. The Shaman's Kiss was nominated for a Bell in the Australian Jazz Awards in 2003. Her subsequent CDs East of the Sun and the critically acclaimed Mother Tongue, were both released in New Zealand where she is now based. 

In addition to her own projects, Caro also features with Jonathan Besser's The Zestniks, Chinmaya Dunster & The Dads. She has also worked with Divas with a Twist, Frank Gibson’s Hardbopmobile, Flounder (John Rae, Roger Manins, Ben Wilcock) and Acapollinations. She has performed with some exceptional musicians over the years including Chris Cody (Aus/Fr), Jonathan Crayford (NZ), Mike Nock (Aus), and recently visiting artists, Luca Ciarla (Italy), Benny Lackner (Ger), Simon Thacker (Scotland).

Caro is a Director and Co-founder of The Creative Jazz Club Aotearoa and has been teaching for the University of Auckland for the past 10 years.

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