Nicola Conte is an Italian DJ, producer, and musician known for blending jazz, soul, and world music with deep grooves and a spiritual vibe. A passionate vinyl collector, his musical journey has always embraced a global perspective. In his DJ sets Conte fuses cosmic Afro-house, jazz, and spiritual sounds, creating a unique and immersive experience.
From the early days of his career, Nicola has been part of forward-thinking artistic communities. In the ’90s, he founded Fez, a cultural movement in Bari that became a creative hub for artists, jazz lovers, and free spirits, proof of his commitment to artistic exploration beyond mainstream trends. Over the years, his music has been released on prestigious labels such as Blue Note, EmArcy/Universal Jazz, MPS, Impulse, Far Out Recordings, and Schema, solidifying his reputation as a visionary in contemporary jazz and beyond.
A key part of his artistic journey has been the UMOJA project, which emerged as a trilogy of works
Let Your Light Shine On (2018, MPS), People Need People with Gianluca Petrella (2021, Schema), and UMOJA (2023, Far Out). In 2024, Joaquin Claussell gave his own reinterpretation of the project with a special reworked version. The trilogy dives deep into Afro-American and African music, infused with spirituality whether through jazz, soul, or afrobeat.
Beyond the albums, UMOJA has evolved into a broader creative concept. It became the name of Conte’s radio show, first airing on Worldwide FM (2021–2023) and now continuing on One Jazz FM , as well as the identity under which he delivers club-oriented DJ sets, , bringing the UMOJAvibe to the dancefloor.
The UMOJA Live Band, a seven-piece ensemble composed of both international and Italian-based musicians, has been an essential part of this journey. They are scheduled to return to the studio at the end of summer 2025.
In the meantime, Nicola Conte is working alongside DJ / producers Nicolhas on many projects: Tema Due, a club-oriented, spiritual house project set to debut as an EP in April and followed by a full album in September, both to be released on Schema. Additionally, they are also collaborating on a series of reworks and edits of Italian soundtracks and library music for the Four Flies label.
Nicola Conte keeps pushing boundaries, mixing his jazz roots with modern sounds and keeping the groove alive both on and off the dancefloor.
