Ahead of her performance at the NCPA this month, we speak to Singapore-based vocalist Alemay Fernandez, known for her lush tone and dynamic stage presence, about the jazz scene in the Southeast Asian city-state and how the timeless genre found a place in her heart.
By Anurag Tagat
Alemay Fernandez has always believed in the magic of jazz. From performing at intimate jazz clubs in Singapore to collaborating with world-class musicians, her passion for the genre has shaped a career that crosses geographic and generational boundaries.
Known for her soulful voice, educational approach to jazz and warm personality, Fernandez has become a key figure on Singapore’s jazz scene and beyond. Her journey is a testament to how music, no matter where it originates and where it is sung, can resonate on a global stage.
“My introduction to jazz was my father,” she shares. A second-generation Singaporean of Indian descent, Fernandez’s father grew up amid the British colonial and Japanese-occupied eras in Singapore. In a life shaped by those turbulent times and a global education that took him to Australia, Scotland and London, he developed a deep appreciation for Western music, particularly jazz, which was the pop music of his youth.
“I grew up in a household where there was only jazz,” Fernandez recalls. “If you were in my house, you’d hear Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dinah Washington and even gospel singer Mahalia Jackson.” While Fernandez enjoyed the ’80s and ’90s pop music of her own generation, jazz subconsciously seeped into her musical DNA.
It wasn’t until she began singing in pubs and clubs as a teenager that Fernandez realised her true love for jazz. “I was singing pop because that’s what you do at 18, but I started slipping in jazz standards, like my favourite Ella songs, my favourite Frank songs, and I really loved doing this,” she explains. What began as a nod to her father’s music quickly became her own passion. “It wasn’t my dad’s music anymore, it was mine.”
In the late 1990s, Singapore’s jazz scene was vibrant but heavily dominated by older, experienced musicians. Young people were rarely associated with the genre. Fernandez recalls the prevailing sentiment: jazz is a ‘life-experience’ genre and you couldn’t sing it until you’ve lived more.
She disagreed. “I thought, why can’t I sing jazz just because I’m young? This music speaks to me, and I have something to say,” she emphasises. Fernandez worked tirelessly to prove herself and carve out her place on the scene. Her determination coincided with the rise of young jazz artistes such as Michael Bublé, Norah Jones and Diana Krall, which helped broaden the audience for jazz among younger generations.
Today, Fernandez is celebrated for her ability to communicate the essence of jazz to audiences of all ages. “When people come to my shows, they know I’ll be explaining everything,” she says. “I make sure they know ‘Come Fly With Me’ isn’t [originally sung] by Michael Bublé, or that ‘Gentle Rain’ isn’t [originally sung] by Diana Krall. It’s about showing people where this music really comes from and why it’s so timeless.”
One of the advantages of Singapore’s tight-knit jazz community is the chance to collaborate with international musicians who perform in the city-state. “Whenever a big name comes to town, venues here try to encourage collaborations,” Fernandez notes. “If the visiting artiste is willing, they might invite a local musician to join them for a song.” Fernandez was the obvious choice and most likely the only Asian jazz artiste to be regularly invited.
These collaborations have allowed Fernandez to work with some of the world’s best jazz musicians including Wynton Marsalis, The Count Basie Orchestra, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, David Foster and Jim Brickman, among others, forging connections that often lead to opportunities abroad. “Our scene is small, but we’ve managed to bring some incredible jazz musicians to Singapore,” she says.
One such collaboration was with Ben Scholz, a drummer and music producer who is a mainstay on the Chicago scene. He has played with Roy Hargrove and Buddy Guy. Scholz first met Fernandez during a 2022 visit to Singapore, where they performed together at Cool Cats, one of the city’s premier jazz venues. “There was an immediate camaraderie,” Scholz recalls. “Not just musically, but over food as well. Food brings people together, and Alemay is known as the one who feeds everyone when they come to town.” Their shared passion for jazz and good food sparked a friendship and laid the groundwork for future collaborations.
Now, Fernandez and Scholz are reuniting for a special performance in Mumbai, where they will be joined by pianist Sharik Hasan and bassist Edwin Livingston. Hasan, a Bengaluru-born musician, has shared the stage with Wayne Shorter and Joe Lovano.
He is no stranger to Fernandez. The two worked together extensively when he was based in Singapore during the pandemic. “Sharik had come to visit his wife in March 2020 and got stuck here. He ended up staying for two years, and we spent a lot of time together, writing music, performing and building a great rapport,” Fernandez shares.
Rounding out the ensemble is Los Angeles-based Livingston, a renowned bassist with a rich repertoire of jazz, having played with Elvin Jones, the Marsalis family and Natalie Cole. Together, the quartet will perform a mix of jazz standards and original compositions, blending familiarity with fresh, modern interpretations. Scholz explains, “The Great American Songbook will be a key part of the repertoire, but jazz is all about improvisation and keeping things loose. There’s room to branch out and explore.”
Fernandez is particularly excited about incorporating original music into their setlist. “Sharik and I have written together, and I’ve talked to Ben and Ed about including their original compositions too,” she says. “It’s about giving the audience a full spectrum of choices— something for everyone.”
For Fernandez, the enduring appeal of jazz lies in its ability to connect people across time and space. “How many young musicians today are singing songs from over a century ago?” she asks. “Jazz has this incredible longevity. It never goes out of style.”
Her mission extends beyond performance; she sees herself as an ambassador for jazz. “I want people to leave my shows with a deeper understanding of this music, where it comes from, who made it popular and why it still resonates today,” she says.
Fernandez’s passion for jazz education isn’t limited to her shows. She’s also worked on community outreach and conducted workshops, further cementing her role as a torchbearer for the genre in Southeast Asia.
As she prepares for her first trip to Mumbai, she reflects on her journey from a young singer in Singapore to an internationally recognised jazz artiste. “I come from this tiny country in Asia that’s only recently become known to the world. Yet, we’ve built a small but mighty jazz scene, and I’ve been lucky enough to be part of it,” she says.
As the quartet takes the stage in Mumbai, Fernandez is ready to do what she does best: share the magic of jazz, one song at a time. “It’s about bringing people together,” she says. “That’s what jazz has always done, and that’s what I hope to keep doing.”
This article was originally published in the April 2026 issue of ON Stage.
