Monique Bingham
Biography 2016

Monique Bingham has been responsible for some of the most poignant, soulful jazz-infused house music of the past 20 years. Her career began fronting the “acid jazz” horn heavy band Abstract Truth in 1995 whose seasoned members boasted stints with jazz gods Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Sun Ra to name a few. Their first single, “Get Another Plan” was recorded at Francois K‘s legendary Axis studios and received international critical acclaim once picked up by UK music guru Gilles Peterson’s imprint “Talkin Loud” in 1996. The follow up single “We Had a Thing” released in 1998 became an indisputable soulful house classic due to German producer Matthias Heilbronn’s infectious house remix and it’s inclusion on South African DJ Fresh’s 2000 House Flava compilation.

Once injected into the veins of the underground, Ms. Bingham’s penchant for painstakingly crafted lyrics and left of center melodies caught the ears of some of the house scene’s most respected dj/producers like Kerri Chandler, Jellybean Benitez, Karizma and Ralf Gum.

In 2011, Monique completed her first self-produced single “You.Me.World“ released on her own record label Bigga Sounds. That same year she performed for the first time in South Africa at the 12th annual Capetown International Jazz Festival sharing a bill with jazz heroes Wayne Shorter, Esperanza Spalding and soul legends Earth Wind and Fire.

While the house scene remained largely underground in the US, Europe and Asia, the South African house scene exploded. Her 2012 collaboration “Take Me To My Love“ with Ralf Gum became a runaway crossover hit in the country. She was the first ever non-South African artist to perform live at the 12th annual Metro FM awards in 2013 for a television audience of over 10 million viewers. And her collaboration with one of the world’s greatest living jazz legends and human rights activist Hugh Masekela entitled “With her Hand” has made her a fixture on festival stages throughout Southern Africa ever since.

Monique’s 2 decade milestone in the recording industry was marked by the release of her first album: “Best of the Last/Anthology:1995-2015” featuring 26 classic as well as new house tracks with grammy award winner Louie Vega, Todd Terry, and South African house king and 2016 BET ward winner Black Coffee. Their collaboration “Deep in the Bottom (of Africa)” has cemented her standing as part of the Mzansi music revolution. She remains one of the most interesting and enduring artists the New York City underground has ever produced. “After 20 years of making music I almost feel like I’m just getting started. I have so much more to say and in some ways I’m more excited now than I was back in ’95. The future is wide open.” – Monique Bingham

Discography:

ABSTRACT TRUTH
GET ANOTHER PLAN EP WAVE US 04/1996
ABSTRACT TRUTH
GET ANOTHER PLAN (5 REMX) WAVE US/TALKIN LOUD UK 10/1996
ABSTRACT TRUTH
WE HAD A THING (SNGL) WAVE US 07/1998
BLUE SIX
PURE NAKED MUSIC US 04/2001
BLUE SIX
CLOSE TO HOME NAKED MUSIC US 01/2002
SIR PIERS
DON’T YOU LOVE ME CURIOUS UK 11/2002
MATTHIAS HEILBRONN
GO-GETTER PAPA RECORDS UK 04/2004
STUDIO APT.
FLIGHT NEW WORLD RECORDS JP 07/2004
OKADA TAXI
COME AND LIVE WITH ME PLANET GROOVE JP 07/2004
STUDIO APT.
FLIGHT (REMIX FRANKIE FELICIANO) KINGSTREET US 10/2004
SIR PIERS
FOOL’S GOT NOTHIN CURIOUS UK 06/2005
QUENTIN HARRIS
YOU CAN’T HAVE NY SUSU UK / SHELTER US 06/2005
LIQUID PEOPLE/DANISM
GLANCE, LOOK, STARE MN2S UK 12/2005
QUENTIN HARRIS
POOR PEOPLE SYMPLE SOUL US 01/2006
MATTY AND MONIQUE
NOW WHATZ RECORDS UK 05/2006
QUENTIN HARRIS
BEAUTIFUL BLACK WOMEN COME FROM NEW YORK STRICTLY RHYTHM2006
KERRI CHANDLER
IN THE MORNING
TARANTULAZ
THEY FORGOT IT OM US 03/2007
FRANKIE FELICIANO
DECEMBER KING STREET RECORDS2007
STUDIO APARTMENT
FOUND HIM NEW WORLD JP 06/2007
RALF GUM
KISSING STRANGERS GOGO MUSIC DE 01/2008
DUNN EASY
WON’T STOP JELLYBEAN SOUL US 08/2008
SHAKE THE DOG
RUN SYMPLE SOUL US 04/2009
KARIZMA
GOOD MORNING KAYTRONIK US 03/2010
RALF GUM
LITTLE W. 12TH ST GOGO MUSIC DE 04/2010
MONIQUE BINGHAM
YOU.ME.WORLD BIGGA SOUNDS US 01/2011
SHAKE THE DOG
DO IT FAVOURITIZM UK 07/2011
RALF GUM
TAKE ME TO MY LOVE GOGO DE 08/2012
DJ PEPSI
PRIDE MO’NYUKU SA 09/2012
DJ CHRISTOS
OUTTA SIGHT KATSAITIS MUSIC ZA 12/2013
RALF GUM
THE PAP GOGO DE 08/2014
MONIQUE BINGHAM
BLOODY LUCKY BIGGA SOUNDS US / HOUSE AFRIKA ZA 06/2015
BLACK COFFEE
DEEP IN THE BOTTOM BIGGA SOUNDS US / HOUSE AFRIKA ZA 09/2015
MONIQUE BINGHAM
BEST OF THE LAST (ALBUM) BIGGA SOUNDS US / HOUSE AFRIKA ZA 10/2015
LOUIE VEGA
ELEVATOR (GOING UP) VEGA RECORDS US / HOUSE AFRIKA ZA 02/2016
SIR PIERS
AMERICAN IN CHELSEA CURIOUS RECORDS UK 08/2016
MOBI DIXON
MIXED UP CHICK HOUSE AFRIKA / SONY MUSIC, 09/2016
DJ GANYANI
MASS SOLUTION UNIVERSAL MUSIC, 11/2017
MAFIKIZOLO
UMAMA UNIVERSAL MUSIC, 11/2017
CHUCK ROBERTS
IN THE BEGINNING (THERE WAS JACK) UNIVERSAL SOUTH AFRICA, 07/2018