Joy Refill

Lena Margareta grew up outside of Stockholm. She discovered Louis Armstrong and started playing the trumpet at the age of nine, but soon her love of singing took over. In her mid teens she received a scholarship to study jazz vocals privately for Margareta Thalén Ekstam, head of the vocal education at SMI, University College of Music Education in Stockholm. While developing as a professional jazz singer, Lena kept playing the trumpet as a second instrument. She entered the Stockholm independent ska scene and played trumpet, sang and wrote songs for numerous ska bands, touring Sweden and Poland, before starting her own ska/jazz band Bakelit. After re-locating to London she has worked with various constellations of London musicians. She has run a regular jazz/ska jam at Mascara Bar, and been an in house singer in the members bar at Picturehouse Central. Joy Refill is Lenas acoustic jazz duo, collaborating with virtuoso guitarists such as Pietro Dalla Vecchia and Benjamin Gasiglia.