Safaricom Enlists Grammy Award Winning Branford Marsalis To Headline International Jazz Festival

Nairobi – January 26th, 2016 – New Orleans born Jazz artist Brandford Masalis been confirmed as the main act during the Safaricom International Jazz Festival due to be held on 21st February 2016.

Marsalis – and the Branford Marsalis Quartet – had the Best Instrumental Jazz Album in 2012 on iTunes, adding to the artistes impressive billing which includes touring with rock star Sting and British singer Phil Collins.

“We are glad to announce that Branford Marsalis will grace the third edition of the Safaricom International Jazz Festival. To make the festival more exciting, illustrious Jazz performers from the Middle East, Europe and our very own Kenya will perform,” said Bob Collymore, CEO, Safaricom.

“Our goal, since we launched in February 2014 has been to make Nairobi an internationally recognized hub of Jazz music and I believe the wide array of performers that have graced Safaricom Jazz concerts so far has shown that we are indeed committed to giving Kenyans world-class concerts right here at home,” he said.

Belgian Jazz and Classical music pianist and composer Jef Neve, Italian duo Giampaolo Nuti and Francesco D’Orazio, Maya Beltsitzman and Matan Ephrat from Israel and Shabaka Hutchings from the UK will join Marsalis on stage for a performance that is expected to be epic.

Two Kenyan bands will get a chance to share the stage with the internationally acclaimed artists. AfroSync Band and Edward Parseen and Different Faces Band were selected after auditions that took place last year.

“I am excited to have a chance to learn from these masters of the genre and I consider the Safaricom International Jazz Festival one of the highlights of my career so far,” said Edward Parseen of Different Faces Band.

As a prelude to the festival next month, Safaricom hosted two concerts in December – one in Nairobi and another in Mombasa. The concerts were headlined by Kirk Whalum who was joined by equally celebrated musicians; Gerald Albright, Norman Brown and Shelea Frazier.

All ticket proceeds for the festival shall go to the Ghetto Classics Music Program, as has been the case for the last three years.

The inaugural Safaricom International Festival event was held in February 2014 and was headlined by New-York based Cameroonian artist Richard Bona.

Since then, the Festival – which attracted ver 11,000 people at its final event last year – has brought together a number of noted local and international players.

Local Jazz artists Aaron Rimbui, Kavutha Mwanzia, Jacob Asiyo, Eddie Grey, Chris Bitok among others were have been part of the experience.

Kshs 4.5 Million collected from ticket sales were donated to Ghetto Classics, fund that went towards purchase of music instruments for the 500 children who form the community program.

So far, Safaricom has donated Kshs 12 million to the program having handed over a Cheque worth Kshs 7.5 million after this year’s concert.

Nairobi – January 26th, 2016 – New Orleans born Jazz artist Brandford Masalis been confirmed as the main act during the Safaricom International Jazz Festival due to be held on 21st February 2016.

Marsalis – and the Branford Marsalis Quartet – had the Best Instrumental Jazz Album in 2012 on iTunes, adding to the artistes impressive billing which includes touring with rock star Sting and British singer Phil Collins.

“We are glad to announce that Branford Marsalis will grace the third edition of the Safaricom International Jazz Festival. To make the festival more exciting, illustrious Jazz performers from the Middle East, Europe and our very own Kenya will perform,” said Bob Collymore, CEO, Safaricom.

“Our goal, since we launched in February 2014 has been to make Nairobi an internationally recognized hub of Jazz music and I believe the wide array of performers that have graced Safaricom Jazz concerts so far has shown that we are indeed committed to giving Kenyans world-class concerts right here at home,” he said.

Belgian Jazz and Classical music pianist and composer Jef Neve, Italian duo Giampaolo Nuti and Francesco D’Orazio, Maya Beltsitzman and Matan Ephrat from Israel and Shabaka Hutchings from the UK will join Marsalis on stage for a performance that is expected to be epic.

Two Kenyan bands will get a chance to share the stage with the internationally acclaimed artists. AfroSync Band and Edward Parseen and Different Faces Band were selected after auditions that took place last year.

“I am excited to have a chance to learn from these masters of the genre and I consider the Safaricom International Jazz Festival one of the highlights of my career so far,” said Edward Parseen of Different Faces Band.

As a prelude to the festival next month, Safaricom hosted two concerts in December – one in Nairobi and another in Mombasa. The concerts were headlined by Kirk Whalum who was joined by equally celebrated musicians; Gerald Albright, Norman Brown and Shelea Frazier.

All ticket proceeds for the festival shall go to the Ghetto Classics Music Program, as has been the case for the last three years.

The inaugural Safaricom International Festival event was held in February 2014 and was headlined by New-York based Cameroonian artist Richard Bona.

Since then, the Festival – which attracted ver 11,000 people at its final event last year – has brought together a number of noted local and international players.

Local Jazz artists Aaron Rimbui, Kavutha Mwanzia, Jacob Asiyo, Eddie Grey, Chris Bitok among others were have been part of the experience.

Kshs 4.5 Million collected from ticket sales were donated to Ghetto Classics, fund that went towards purchase of music instruments for the 500 children who form the community program.

So far, Safaricom has donated Kshs 12 million to the program having handed over a Cheque worth Kshs 7.5 million after this year’s concert.