Young Achiever: Tamika Hoppe

Tamiko Hoppe is a sensational musical talent. At age of 15, her velvety rich vocals extend well beyond her years. Suited to jazz performances, Hoppe has performed at JZ Club and concert halls, restaurants, bars and cafes all around the city.

Born in Los Angeles, Hoppe developed a love for singing and music from a young age. When her family moved to Singapore, she started auditioning, enrolled in drama classes and appeared in musicals including Chitty, Chitty Bang Bang. Now a Shanghai resident, she takes weekly vocal jazz lessons at the JZ School and last semester performed with the Shanghai Youth Jazz Orchestra (SYJO).

While she enjoys hip hop and pop, the young vocalist sees jazz as her true calling – a fact she attributes to the “cool feeling” she gets when singing. Down the road, she would like to intern with a recording studio or record company to learn more about the business side of the music industry, but ultimately she plans to perform as a professional singer and record an album.

While Hoppe’s experience might make her seem like a seasoned performer, she admits she still falls victim to stage fright. “The first time I ever sang to a live audience, I was trembling. But after the first two songs, I really got into it and it was amazing.” she says.

The high school student finds performing jazz routines particularly fun when backed by a big band, making her experience working with SYJO a highlight of her musical career. Inspired by Peggy Lee, the receipient of the Grammy Awards Lifetime Achievement Award for a jazz career that spanned six decades, Hoppe’s style emulates the legend’s extraordinary voice and stage presence.

“My favourite song to perform is the Peggy Lee classic ‘Fever’ because of the song’s lyrics and arrangement, which has a jazzy, cool, smooth feeling,” she says. “Celine Dion is also one of my favourite performers. Her stage presence and confidence are inspiring.” 

It can sometimes be challenging fitting her muscial aspirations around her studies, but Hoppe gets by with the support of her family. Aside from singing, she also plays piano, writes her own songs and plays a lot of music with her family – her mother also sings, her father plays the keyboard and her brother plays drums.