After years of singing all over South Africa, singer Melanie Scholtz has released

an album under her own name. The release, entitled “Zillion Miles” was recorded in November 2006 and features some of South Africa’s finest musicians, such as Kevin Gibson, Marcus Wyatt, Buddy Wells, Frank Paco and Mark Fransman.

“Zillion Miles” was produced by Norwegian producer Thor Kvande, and consists of all original music. The music was written by Melanie Scholtz herself, together with guitarist husband Gorm Helfjord.

This award winning songbird has achieved praise in South Africa as well as internationally. Winning the Old Mutual Jazz Encounters  competition in 2002 as Best Jazz Vocalist and performing the South African Anthem at the Presidents’ Cup in 2003 in front of a world audience of 1 billion people. Melanie Scholtz has performed on live Norwegian radio as well as part of a Music against Misery concert in Holland in 2002. She has worked with the cream of South Africa’s musicians; Jimmy Dludlu, Sibongile Khumalo and Judith Sephuma.

Her debut album,Zillion Miles, has received rave reviews 

in South Africa and abroad. With its fresh eclectic sound fusing African, European, Jazz, Blues and Pop influences, it has reached a wide audience. The marriage of music and lyric is evident in the catchy yet substantial songwriting. It provides the listener with a tune to hum as well as something to think about.  Melanie is also the lyricist of all the songs on the album.

In January 2008, Melanie was invited to perform with Traditional Jazz Band, Dixi at the Stavanger Jazz  Festival in Norway. Melanie will return to Norway in August , once again with Dixi for  a jazz festival in Vadso. Thereafter, a recording of an exciting new album with some of the top jazz musicians in Sweden and South Africa .