The Bob Collymore Foundation (BCF) has announced the return of what will be a series of Jazz events set to take place in Kenya, as part of the BC International Jazz Festival Series (BCIJF), with the first edition is scheduled for 1st July 2023 in Nairobi.
Among the acts set to grace the stage, are prominent musicians Jacob Asiyo, Shamsi Music, the Nairobi Horns Project, Edward Pareseen, and guitarist Jack Maguna.
“We’re very excited to be bringing a Jazz festival of this scale back to the Nairobi scene, even as we plan to create a solid calendar for fans going forward. We shall nurture the continued growth of the Jazz market, while building opportunities for underprivileged audiences and children to experience the transformative power of music,” said Wambui Collymore, Festival Director, BCIJF.
The first edition of the Safaricom International Festival was held in February 2014 and was headlined by New York-based Cameroon artist Richard Bona. Jazz artists Aaron Rimbui, Kavutha Mwanzia, Jacob Asiyo, Eddie Grey and Chris Bittok were also part of the groundbreaking concert.
The late Collymore was famous for his love for jazz and even initiated the Safaricom Jazz Festival, which saw several of the world’s biggest Jazz artists perform in Nairobi.
One of the groups set to perform at the Bob Collymore International Jazz Festival, Ghetto Classics, supports hundreds of children from underprivileged neighborhoods in Nairobi through its orchestra program. It was supported by Collymore and Safaricom during his time as CEO.
The Jazz festivals have seen the likes of Grammy Award winners such as David Sanborn, Marcus Miller, and Diane Reeves headline in the past, so its no doubt that this year’s festival promises to deliver a wide variety of Jazz talent which has been part of the Kenyan music scene since the 1960s.
The event which is in its could be expected to attract at least 10,000 people with regular tickets going for Sh2000 while students will pay Sh500 at the gate.
