The sidewalks of downtown New York lay shrouded beneath a thin layer of snow as I slipped and slid my way along to the "Jazz Gallery" on Friday night. As I clambered up the white-covered steps of the subway, I must admit I couldn't help wondering what the temperature was in downtown Cameroon at that very same moment. Shivering beneath my winter coat – and cursing the brass-monkey weather New York has been having this 'spring' – I made my way towards Hudson Street. Now, what was it the guy said on the phone, "Hudson Street's just below Spring Street" … Ah, there I was at last: "The Jazz Gallery" !

Sitson's publicity manager, Jim Eigo, veteran of the jazz-record business for more than a quarter-century, had been resolutely upbeat on the phone. "Go on, be a sport, come along on Friday night and I promise you, you won't be disappointed. I swear, the guy's magic – a genie straight out of Aladdin's lamp!" Which was all very well, but when I finally arrived at "The Jazz Gallery" for Sitson's show, the musicians were still up on stage doing a soundcheck.

What on earth was going on? The concert was supposed to start at 9pm and there they all were in the middle of the room still rehearsing! Hmmm, I thought to myself, I feel a touch of amateurism coming on. I would have been better off tucked up at home in the warm watching a bit of late-night TV! Well, nothing to be done about it now, I thought to myself philosophically, whiling the time away studying the photos of legendary jazz stars plastered all over the "Gallery" walls.
I'd picked a good seat in any case, right under a black-and-white portrait of Bud Powell and on the wall opposite I could make out the faces of Oscar Peterson, Sonny Rollins et al. Then all of a sudden I heard a friendly voice beside me, "Hi! Do you speak French?" I looked up and saw an exuberant little man, dressed in an eye-catching red shirt with little round spectacles (more Gandhi than John Lennon!) and a jaunty African cap perched on his head. There he stood, grinning from ear to ear, pumping my hand up and down. "Hi, I'm Gino Sitson! We'll be on any minute now. Hope we'll be sending good vibrations your way very soon!"

With that, I hardly had time to turn off my mobile phone before I heard the voice of the "Jazz Gallery" MC booming, "Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together and give a warm welcome to … Gino Sitson!" The MC's announcement was greeted by a rather tentative round of applause and the man in the flamboyant red shirt took to the stage. The Cameroonian singer, who forged his reputation supporting big-time stars such as Manu Dibango, Papa Wemba, Youssou N'Dour and Jorge Ben, flashed his infectious grin and launched into his set. And all I can say is, if Gino Sitson performs anything like he did last Friday, I wish you all the chance of discovering him one snowy night in New York!

Gino was joined on stage by a close-knit quartet - piano, bass, drums and sax playing together in an extraordinary symbiosis. In fact, rarely have I seen such on-stage harmony between a singer and his band. Brought together from the four corners of France, New York and Navarre, Gino's musicians were solidarity personified and, thanks to their passion and professionalism, they filled the tiny "Jazz Gallery" with Cameroonian joy and bonhomie and a few much-needed rays of African sun.
Singing in Medumba, a dialect from his native Cameroon, Gino performed a wonderfully varied set, inviting the audience to get to their feet and dance to upbeat numbers like Wô ou Wô or sit back and listen as he sang the praises of his niece on Lovely Dany Jo. But it was his extraordinary final solo which really brought the house down. Flicking his fingers up and down the sides of his jaw, Gino provided his own musical accompaniment, turning himself into a human drum machine. And suddenly I found myself transported back in time to Bobby McFerrin's concert at the Isère Jazz Festival. Performing at the Théâtre Antique de Vienne in the pouring rain, McFerrin had wowed his drenched audience with a similar 'mouth drum' solo. Which bodes well for our Cameroonian Gino – believe me, this man is destined to be big!

Soaking up the heat generated by Gino's on-stage performance, I was just beginning to feel warm waves of happiness wash over me when the MC interrupted my reverie, shouting "Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together and give a big thankyou to Gino Sitson!" Brought down to earth with a bump, I began rummaging around in my bag, trying to locate my keys, my taxi money and turn my mobile back on. Suddenly, I heard a warm, friendly voice beside me and looking up I found the same grinning, red-shirted fellow as before, asking "So, what did you think? Did you enjoy the show?"

What can I say? Like it? I loved it! And I have to admit, hearing Sitson's incredible vocals belting out beneath the New York skyscrapers on Friday night, I almost found myself believing that yes, miracles do exist!

After exchanging news on Manu (Dibango) and Youssou (N'Dour) and swapping e-mail addresses, I left Gino to get ready for his second set half-an-hour later. Hordes of jazz fans were already queuing at the door and as I made my way out onto the snow-covered New York sidewalk, I soaked up the last warm Cameroonian vibes drifting on the cold night air.

Myriem Wong

sitson online
Song Zin' (Night and Day)