aja monet (USA) + Monstress

SIMA welcomes acclaimed poet, vocalist, and bandleader aja monet for her highly anticipated Sydney debut for the Sydney International Women's Jazz Festival 2026. A Surrealist Blues Poet in the business of goosebumps and heart-gut truths, monet has forged a singular voice at the intersection of poetry, music, and activism. From her beginnings in New York’s Lower East Side poetry clubs to international stages including the Guggenheim, Newport Jazz Festival, and the Barbican, her spoken word artistry channels a legacy of resistance, love, and collective care that has earned her accolades from the NAACP Image Awards to a Grammy nomination. With her dynamic quartet of Brian Hargrove (piano), Micah Collier (bass) and Zach Morrow (drums), monet will present works from her powerful sophomore album the color of rain. A compositional tour-de-force, works shift between musical perceptions of jazz, soul, hip hop, and blues, unfolding