For all you Jazz lovers check out this press release below.
In a bid to quench the growing demand for jazz music from Kenyans, Kijiji Entertainment has partnered with All That Jazz to stage a one day jazz concert in Nairobi. To be staged on April 30, the concert will coincide with the commemoration of World Jazz Day. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially designated April 30 as International Jazz Day in order to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role in uniting people from all corners of the globe.
The partnership has been driven by All That Jazz’s twin goals of growing and deepening the jazz audience in Kenya, and offering the already converted jazz fans opportunities to socialize. Kijiji Entertainment is expected to produce an exciting and unforgettable experience.
“The Kenyan music industry lacks a strong jazz culture All that Jazz hopes to become this cultural centrepiece where Kenyans can enjoy indigenous jazz music as well as contribute to building the jazz culture in the region: a fact that will in the long run help cement jazz locally,” said Kanjii Mbugua, CEO of Kijiji Entertainment.
According to Kanjii, jazz music in the country holds high potential basing on the number of fans who have thronged to the occasional concerts: a case in point being the recent Safaricom Jazz Festival.
“Kijiji Entertainment’s partnership with All That Jazz is in line with the company’s ideals of developing cultural properties that will contribute to the growth of the cultural landscape of Kenya and the entire East African region,” Kanjii explained.
All That Jazz has so far staged 11 concerts since its first series of concerts in February 2011 and has attracted over 4000 concert goers. Its first event played to a sold out venue. Its ever-increasing audience has been entertained by elite groups of artists, including its co-founder Aaron Rimbui, Eric Wainaina, Kenyan guitarist Eddy Grey,Chris Adwar and Uganda’s Maurice Kirya. In June 2013, the concert staged a highly successful edition hosting Malian Jazz legend, Moussa Diallo and Gambian acclaimed Kora player Dawdah Jobarteh.
Unlike South Africa, where jazz is part of the culture and corporates outdo each other to sponsor jazz related events, East Africa lags behind in promoting the genre. But efforts among jazz stakeholders, including All that Jazz, are being directed to positioning jazz as a serious form of social commentary and poetic expression. Their work is bent on achieving an East African event that will bring out the best of the region’s jazz artists.
Jazz events held successfully in Kenya include the North Sea Jazz festival, which first took place in 2006, the Jazz in the Park festival, and South Meets East Jazz Festival in 2009, which brought South African musician Lira for the very first time to Kenya, and The Jazz Safari Festival in 2009 that saw main acts as Gerald Albright, an American Jazz Saxophonist and Uganda’s TShaka Mayanja.
Of course we cannot forget the International Safaricom Jazz Festival that took place not to long ago. So mark this day on your calendar and let’s go enjoy some Jazz.
