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World music and jazz fusion drummer, Paco Sery from Cote d’Ivoire and Maliain musician, arranger and composer, Cheick Tidiane Seck will headline the International Jazz Day celebrations on 1st May, 2019.

This year’s theme is celebrating African Jazz, and will also feature supporting performances from Mandla Mlangeni and the Tune Creation Committee (South Africa), Sylwester Ostrowski & The Jazz Brigade ft. Freddie Hendrix (Poland & USA) and celebrated Kenyan jazz acts Nairobi Horns Project , Shamsi Music, Jacob & Kavutha Asiyo, Kato & The Change Band and the Ghetto Classics.

Proceeds from all ticket sales will be donated to the Ghetto classics music programme, which has been the Safaricom Jazz beneficiary since 2014 and has so far received an estimated KES 60 million, funds that have benefitted over 1,500 children from Nairobi and Mombasa. Proceeds from the 2018/2019 Edition will see the Ghetto Classics Schools programme extend to Kisumu.

Main acts

Cheick-Tidiane Seck

Keyboardist, composer and performer, Cheick-Tidiane Seck, is one of the most prolific and experienced artists from Mali. Seck's childhood was spent learning the local traditions of his Manding cultural heritage, but like many West African musicians, he looked toward Western popular music for a new,...

Main acts

Paco Séry

Known as "The legendary Drummer", Paco Séry is greatly recognized for his prowess on the drum kit. Every jazz artist worth his salt will tell you that Paco Séry’s name is etched in music history for his tremendous stroke. Both ancestral and modern African influences will be found in his style of mu...

supporting acts

Mandla Mlangeni

The Tune Recreation Committee is a Cape Town based ensemble including a stellar lineup of musicians who draw from a diverse array of musical genres. The TRC unit delivers a textured, grooving blend of contemporary African Jazz.The TRC are lead by trumpeter and composer Mandla Mlangeni, the 2019...

supporting acts

Sylwester Ostrowski & The Jazz Brigade ft. Dorota Miskiewicz - Freddie Hendrix

The band fuses American Jazz with Polish soul to build cultural bridges using Jazz. The band will debut their new album “In Our Own Way” at the 2019 Kenya International Jazz Day celebrations. Sylwester Ostrowski, the band leader is also the Director of Szczecin Jazz. Szczecin, Poland is a member of...

supporting acts

Nairobi Horns Project

The Nairobi Horns Project (NHP) begun as a commercial for-hire horn section working on TV shows, concerts, recordings and tours. The horns are Mackinlay Mutsembi on the trumpet, Mokua Rabai who plays the saxophone and Victor Kinama on the Trombone.The members of NHP have appeared on several maj...

supporting acts

Kavutha Mwanzia-Asiyo

Kavutha Mwanzia-Asiyo , one of Kenya’s leading jazz vocalists has been singing since childhood. This talent eventually led to her study of voice, at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA USA. A seasoned performer, Kavutha has been the featured jazz vocalist at various jazz themed e...

supporting acts

Jacob Asiyo

Jacob is a multi-faceted musician, a keyboard pioneer, composer, singer and arranger in both jazz and popular mainstream musical genres. He has been at the fore-front of exposing the Kenyan market to the tradition of jazz with his vast repertoire of Jazz Standards.Comfortable as a soloist, his...

supporting acts

Nairobi Horns Project

The Nairobi Horns Project (NHP) begun as a commercial for-hire horn section working on TV shows, concerts, recordings and tours. The horns are Mackinlay Mutsembi on the trumpet, Mokua Rabai who plays the saxophone and Victor Kinama on the Trombone.The members of NHP have appeared on several maj...

supporting acts

Shamsi Music

Shamsi Music is a recording and performing afro-jazz fusion band from Kenya that was formed in 2014 by pianist, composer and musical director Paul Mbithi who leads the ensemble and is assisted by Samwel ‘Laka’ Waithaka, a veteran saxophonist. The other members of the band are Michael Munene, Immanu...

event details

International Jazz Day 2019: Celebrating African Jazz

Date: Wednesday, 1st May, 2019

Venue: Carnivore Grounds

Time: Gates open at 11am, show starts at 12 noon  

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