Jessica Manuputty grew up in Lunteren, far from the Moluccan islands that her grandparents were once forced to leave behind. But they carried the music of Maluku with them: traditional folk songs with rhythms like the swell of the waves and melodies like a warm sea breeze over the beach. As long as Jessica can remember, these songs have filled her family’s living room. From a young age, she learned to sing these Lagu Lagu in three-part harmony together with her mother and sister.

Her love and talent for music eventually brought her to the Utrecht Conservatory, where she graduated cum laude. After that, Jessica made a name for herself as a singer in the Dutch jazz, soul, and pop scene. She performed with national and international acts such as Jett Rebel, the Metropole Orkest, and Jacob Collier, playing sold-out venues like Paradiso and appearing at festivals such as Pinkpop, Lowlands, North Sea Jazz, and Sziget.

But the rhythm of the waves and the warm sea breeze had settled deep into her DNA, along with the homesickness her grandparents always carried for their island in the eastern part of the Indonesian archipelago. These deeply rooted emotions found expression in Jessica’s solo albums TOMA! and Toma Terus, live-recorded albums featuring the Lagu Lagu of her childhood. With these, she toured across the Netherlands and the Moluccas with her band. Jessica is currently working on a new album.