All That Jazz: Manu Dibango Headlines Jazz Day in Nairobi

International Jazz Day is held every year on April 30th to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe after being officially designated in November 2011 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).  International Jazz Day is chaired and led by the UNESCO Director General and legendary jazz pianist and composer Herbie Hancock, who serves as a UNESCO Ambassador for Intercultural Dialogue and Chairman.

Every year, there are celebrations around the world to mark Jazz Day. In October 2017,  UNESCO announced the selection of Saint Petersburg, Russia and Sydney, Australia as Global Host Cities for the 2018 and 2019 editions, respectively, of International Jazz Day. There are celebrations in other cities as well and Nairobi became one of them with its own Jazz Day concert courtesy of the Safaricom International Jazz Festival. The first jazz day in Nairobi was held in 2017 and was a Kenyan lineup, the second one went down on May 1st 2018 and was headlined by Manu Dibango.

Safaricom Jazz was held at th Carnivore Grounds and on Labour Day which was perfect for families looking for something fun to do. The weather hasn’t been great so the venue was a little muddy, but the organizers mitigated this by putting up chairs and covering the grass up so that those who still wanted to picnic could do so. I chose to picnic and sat at the front on a blanket with a few friends. It was actually the best attended Safaricom Jazz – it was packed and the atmosphere was electric.

One of the things I loved about the lineup when I saw it, was that it was predominantly Kenyan and a great mix of “old school” and “new school” jazz artistes.

Mambo Tribe kicked the day off and set the day for a phenomenal day. Their music is heavily influenced by coastal sounds and I’m a big fan.

Afrosync was next and I actually hadn’t seen this band in a while. They were one of the first bands on the Safaricom Jazz stage back when the festival was starting out so it was nice to see them again. They brought a lot of energy onto the stage and got the crowd going.

Chris Bittok is synonymous with jazz in Kenya, being one of the first acts to popularize the genre. He’s still got it on the sax and I think it was a nice introduction to what has been on the scene to newer and younger audiences.

Eddie Grey is an absolute favourite and he brought it. There’s just something electric about him when he’s up on stage jamming on his guitar that’s impossible to ignore. He had a great set that included a collaboration with Swahili Ally, a Kora player from Tanzania with an incredible voice, and the kids from Ghetto Classics.

Mwai & The Truth got up next – I had seen their set at Intercontinental Hotel that they put on every Thursday and enjoyed it. Their set was great and I especially love their lead singer – that lady has got quite the voice.

The Limericks are a favourite because of the meshing of sounds from across Africa. I never get enough of them on stage.

Swahili Jazz fronted by Juma Tutu are a party. Juma Tutu is a rockstar on the sax and with the way he carries himself and he managed to get the crowd on their feet. There was also a surprise performance by King of Bango, Mzee Ngala, that was quite the treat.

Jacob Asiyo is a maestro on the piano and put on a beautiful set with help from Mokua Rabai and MacKinlay Mutsembi from Nairobi Horns Project. The sultry voiced Kavutha Asiyo joined her husband on stage and serenaded the audience. I especially enjoyed her rendition of Afro Blue.

Gogo Simo fronted by James Gogo brought the taarab and jazz vibe to the stage and had everyone on their feet. They are one of my favourite bands and they deliver every time.

Edward Parseen & Different Faces Band are a staple on the jazz circuit, having been one of the bands to kick off the now popular jazz nights. They put on a fun set packed with jazz covers of Kenyan music.

Shamsi Music have gained popularity since their debut on the Safaricom Jazz stage and I couldn’t be prouder. They’re a young band who have the talent and dedication to go far. Their set was wonderful and they clearly are a fan favourite.

Nairobi Horns Project (NHP) were the last Kenyan act on stage for the day and they reminded everyone why they are possibly one of the best jazz bands on the scene right now with an energy filled set.

Finally, the man of the hour was up. Manu Dibango is an icon for a reason. Other than all the accolades, his onstage performance was epic. To be able to see a jazz great on stage in Kenya is one of the things that make Safaricom Jazz such a gift. His band was fantastic and I couldn’t get over his BGVs voices. It was truly the icing on the cake of a great Jazz Day.

All the proceeds go to the Ghetto Classics music programme , which have been used to expand the music programme in low-income neighbourhoods in Nairobi and Mombasa, teaching music skills to over 1400 young boys and girls with the aim of nurturing talent and providing them with an alternative source of recreation and income.