Adja is the stage name of Brussels-based singer, theatre-maker and performer Adja Fassa. She was one of the outstanding laureates of Sound Track 2022 and released her debut EP Ironeye in early 2023 on Sdban Ultra, the groove-oriented sublabel of Belgian independent Sdban Records.
Since then it had been a bit quiet around Adja, but her new single A Moment marks the start of a new chapter in her career: it is the forerunner to a new album that she comes to showcase at AB. The track was co-produced by British musician and producer Adam Scrimshire, who was referred to by The Guardian in 2022 as one the three most important soul producers in the UK.

In A Moment, Adja amusingly describes a collective longing that she believes we share: the desire to unwind and take time to process what goes on in our lives. All too often we are forced to just keep going because the world keeps turning.
She wrote the track together with partner in crime, guitarist, arranger and composer Alexis Nootens. A Moment gives an inkling of what is going to come: a complex and layered journey that ultimately leads to … comfort?

Adja doesn’t just have a stunning voice, she is also a force of nature who unites her many talents into rich and sensual live shows that immerse those present in a warm bath of jazz, gospel and soul. Comparisons with Erykah Badu, Solange or Lianne La Havas are really not far-fetched.

In January she was invited in BBC 2's The Jazz Show with Jamie Cullum to present The Brussels jazz scene. You can hear Adja from 27:45 on.

© Saan Van Elsen