Grammy Award Winner Marcus Miller to Headline Safaricom International Jazz Festival

Kenyan Jazz lovers are in for a treat this February. Multiple Grammy award winner Marcus Miller is set to headline the Safaricom International Jazz Festival scheduled for 11^th– 17^th February 2019.

Marcus Miller is a Jazz household name. At the top of his game for over 30 years, Miller is the winner of the 2013 Edison Award for Lifetime Achievement in Jazz (Holland), winner of the 2010 Victoire du Jazz (France) and in 2013, was appointed a UNESCO Artist for Peace. In addition to these career highlights, Miller has a rich and very deep resume of outstanding collaborations, including a 15-year song-writing and production partnership with Luther Vandross, capped by the hit single “Power of Love/Love Power”.

With his distinctive style – a unique combination of funk, groove, soul and pure technical skills – Miller has been referred to as one of the most significant bass players in jazz, R &B, fusion and soul.

His characteristic bass sound can be heard on a limitless catalog of musical hits from Bill Wither’s “Just the Two of Us”, to Luther Vandross’ “Never Too Much”, to songs from Chaka Khan, David Sanborn, Herbie Hancock, Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, George Benson, Elton John and Bryan Ferry.

Other supporting acts slated to perform ahead of Miller are Toine Thys featuring Herve Samb (Belgium), Jazzrausch Bigband (Germany), Omni Mor Trio (Israel), Vivian (Portugal) and Yazmin Lacey (UK). Kato Change, the Ghetto Classics, and the Safaricom Youth Orchestra from Kenya will also grace the stage.

“In 2019, we are marking 6 years of jazz and as promised when we embarked on this journey in 2014, we continue to work with world-class talent. Our aim is to not only expose and avail platforms for Kenyan acts to collaborate with their more experienced counterparts; but to also showcase our talent to the world. We are glad to be working with Ghetto Classics, the Safaricom Youth Orchestra and Kato Change to represent Kenya to the world,” said Bob Collymore, CEO, Safaricom.

Over the years, Safaricom International Jazz Festival has been headlined by a stellar line-up of Kenyan jazz musicians including: Nairobi Horns Project, Shamsi Music, Mwai and the Truth, AfroSync, Edward Parseen and The Different Faces, Jacob Asiyo and Kavutha Mwanzia – Asiyo, James Gogo, Juma Tutu, Chris Bittok, Limericks, Mambo Tribe and Eddie Grey.

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 1,400 children from Nairobi and Mombasa. Proceeds from the 2018/2019 Edition will see the Ghetto Classics Schools programme extend to Kisumu.

The first edition of the Safaricom International Jazz Festival was held in February 2014 and was headlined by New-York based Cameroonian artist Richard Bona.