Kenya: Safaricom jazz fest returns on Workers’ Day

The 2019 edition's theme is Celebrating African Jazz and the headliners will be renowned Ivorian drummer Paco Sery and Malian pianist Cheick Tidiane Seck.

The two veteran musicians will be joined by Mandla Mlangeni and The Tune Creation Committee (South Africa), Sylwester Ostrowski & The Jazz Brigade featuring Freddie Hendrix (Poland/US) and Kenyan acts Jacob & Kavutha Asiyo, the Nairobi Horns Project, Shamsi Music, Kato Change & the Change Experience, Jacob Asiyo, Kavutha Asiyo, and Ghetto Classics.

“Over the years, Safaricom International Jazz Festival has become more than a music concert; it is also a platform through which Kenyan jazz artists can reach a wider audience, connect and exchange ideas with their contemporaries,” Safaricom CEO and SIJF founder Bob Collymore said. “It’s great to see more Kenyans appreciating homegrown jazz talent, and we are honoured to be part of the growth of the local jazz scene.”

This festival was first held in 2014 as a benefit event to raise money for Ghetto Classics, a programme that purchases instruments and provides music training to young people from low-income neighbourhoods in Nairobi and Mombasa.

Since then, the festival has donated approximately 60 million Kenyan shillings ($600 000) and enrolled about 1 500 youngsters in the programme.

Simon Ndungu, an ex-student who now works with Ghetto Classics as a music tutor, told Music In Africa that plans were under way to expand the programme to Kisumu.

“I am honoured to be one of the first-generation students,” he said. “We are currently on the second generation and the programme creates a positive ripple effect for students, which makes a brighter future possible and breaks the cycle of poverty in the communities.

“The beneficiaries are provided with the opportunity to earn a living through a career in music as they build on their leadership skills and confidence. Now our tutors are doing orientation in Kisumu. We want to reach out to people who did not have the opportunity to learn about classical music as well as transform the lives of more youth through music.”

Previous SIJFs have seen performances by Salif Keita, Fatoumata Diawara, Hugh Masekela, Kunle Ayo, Manu Dibango and Richard Bona.