Considered by the Chilean press as one of the “most fresh and interesting musicians of the last years”, Camila Meza recently moved to New York City to attend the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. As a vocalist and guitarist she belongs to a minority of jazz musicians who have the skills to play an instrument with great dexterity while at the same time maintaining a strong and prominent vocal presence. As a composer and arranger she has developed her own voice, turning music from Latin America, Brazil and jazz standards into her own unique rhythmic and harmonic perspective. Camila Meza, age 25, has already recorded two albums under the Chilean record label Vertice Records and has performed in South America, Europe and the United States. In June 2009, she was invited to perform at the Blue Note of Poznan, Poland and at the Swidnica Jazz Festival, venues that have had musical guests such as Chick Corea and Al Di Meola. This passed May 2010 Camila Meza was one of the international artists at Festival Internacional de Jazz Peru in Lima.
Born in Santiago de Chile in 1985, she grew up in an environment where music was present most of the times. Being influenced by different styles of music, Camila Meza picked up the electric guitar at the age of 16, and started composing and playing in a number of rock and pop bands in Chile. At the age of 18, Camila decided to attend one of the few jazz and popular music schools in Chile: Projazz Institute. Not really knowing about her potential as a jazz singer, she was surprised when her tutors and professors, all well-known jazz musicians in Chile, began inviting her to perform with them at different venues and jazz clubs. The sensibility for improvisation they found in her, was soon developed through the study of jazz, and within a couple of years, she was already leading her own groups and ensambles with the best young jazz musicians in Chile.
Camila Meza’s career and reputation in Chile grew quickly. Soon after establishing her own groups, she was invited to participate in jazz festivals all over the country, TV shows and radio stations. At the age of 22, she recorded her first album “Skylark” (Vértice Records 2007). In July of 2009, she recorded her most recent album “Retrato” ("Portrait", Vértice Records 2009), which exhibits a range of musical genres Camila has arranged into jazz compositions. From an intimate duo arrangement of “Poema 15”, poem by chilean poet Pablo Neruda’s and music by chilean folklore singer Victor Jara, to the acoustic sextet version of Bjork's “Isobel”. Camila's arrangements, performed in both english and spanish, convey her exceptional versatility and talent as an artist and musician.
Since her arrival in New York City in 2009, Camila Meza has had the opportunity to meet, play with and learn from great musicians and important figures such as Peter Bernstein, Vic Juris, Jonathan Kreisberg, Sam Yahel, Billy Harper, Charlie Persip, Barry Harris, Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, Vijay Iyer and Cassandra Wilson. She also has had the opportunity to perform at a variety of venues in the city with experienced musicians such as Harry Whitaker, Bucky Pizzarelli, Jack Wilkins, Pat O’Leary, John Benitez, Jason Lindner, Gabriel Alegria, Shai Maestro, Yayo Serka, Ziv Ravitz, Luisito Quintero, Edward Perez and Freddy ‘Huevito’ Lobaton. In the present, she has weekly performances in New York City jazz clubs: Tutuma Social Club, Bar Next Door, Fat Cat, The Garage, Jules Jazz Bistro, Miles Jazz Cafe, Caffe Vivaldi, Shrine, Puppets Jazz Bar, among others.

"Camila approaches songs with a zest and poetic innocence that gives them fresh life and intelligence." - Marc Myers, Jazz Wax.


Considerada por la prensa especializada en jazz en Chile como una de las revelaciones más importantes de los últimos años, la cantante y guitarrista Camila Meza está radicada en Nueva York desde Enero 2009 para asistir a la prestigiosa escuela de jazz The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music donde ha sido becada en la carrera de Jazz Performance. Como cantante y guitarrista, Camila Meza forma parte de un reducido grupo de músicos de jazz que dominan un instrumento y cantan con gran conocimiento y destreza al mismo tiempo. A sus 24 años Camila ya ha grabado dos discos para el sello de jazz chileno Vértice Records y ha ofrecido conciertos en Sudamérica, Europa y Estados Unidos. En Junio del año 2009 fue invitada a Blue Note de Poznan, Polonia y a Swidnica Jazz Festival, donde se han presentado artistas como Chick Corea y Al DiMeola.
Camila Meza nació en Santiago de Chile en 1985 e influenciada por la música que escuchaban sus padres y hermanos (rock, funk, pop, bossa nova, clásica y jazz), comenzó su carrera a la edad de 16 años, creando sus propias composiciones. Una vez terminada la enseñanza media, Camila cursó dos años en la Escuela Internacional de Música Projazz, una de las pocas escuelas de jazz en Chile. En este entorno, su potencial fue descubierto de inmediato. Sus profesores en la escuela la motivaron a desarrollar su capacidad de tocar y cantar y en su primer año ya formaba parte de los ensambles y proyectos de sus docentes. Luego de un período de aprendizaje formó su propio proyecto solista con los mejores músicos jóvenes de jazz de Chile.
Camila Meza rápidamente se hizo un nombre en la escena jazzística chilena. Desde que comienza a presentarse con sus propias agrupaciones, recibe invitaciones para participar en diversos festivales de jazz en todo Chile y es número constante en los clubes de jazz de Santiago. A los 22 años graba su primer disco solista titulado “Skylark” (Vértice Records 2007), el cual recibe muy buena crítica de la prensa y es invitada a presentarlo en matinales y radios. En Julio del 2009, Camila graba su más reciente producción “Retrato” (Vértice Records, 2009), con una propuesta más personal abocada al arreglo y adaptación de temas de diversas corrientes musicales, en un contexto jazzístico. Cantando en español e inglés, Camila Meza muestra una búsqueda de un sonido propio y el talento y versatilidad que la caracterizan como músico.
Desde su llegada a Nueva York, Camila Meza ha tenido el privilegio de conocer, tocar y aprender de importantes figuras del jazz mundial como Peter Bernstein, Vic Juris, Billy Harper, Charlie Persip, el pianista Barry Harris, Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, Vijay Iyer and Cassandra Wilson. También ha tenido a oportunidad de presentarse en diversos lugares en Nueva York, y compartir escenario junto a experimentados músicos como Harry Whitaker, Pat O’Leary, Edward Perez y el cajonero peruano Freddy ‘Huevito’ Lobatón. En el presente, cuenta con actuaciones semanales en clubes de jazz en Nueva York como Tutuma Social Club, Bar Next Door, Puppets Jazz Bar, entre otros y ya ha sido invitada para participar en festivales de jazz 2010 en Croacia, Polonia, Chile y Argentina.