Plans are in full gear for the hosting of the 10th Anniversary of Nigeria’s Premier Jazz Festival – The Lagos International Jazz Festival (LIJF) scheduled to hold on Monday, April 30, 2018, which is globally recognised as International Jazz Day.
The one-day multistage event takes place at Freedom Park in the heart of Lagos and is dedicated to the memory of the late music icon and father of South African Jazz, Hugh Ramapolo Masekela, who recently passed on.
LIJF founder and festival director, Ayoola Sadare, said in a statement, “it’s with great pleasure that on our 10th anniversary we are able to honour the memory of the late legendary international icon, cultural statesman and father of South African Jazz, Hugh Masekela on the LIJF platform though post mortem.
“Bra Hugh was an inspiration to the Jazz community locally and globally, though he never performed on the LIJF stage we believe we owe him a duty to be celebrated for his long and positively impactful life through his music. Hugh Masekela’s spirit lives on through his music which will be with us for a long time.”
The maiden edition of the LIJF took place in 2008 at Studio 868 in Victoria Island headlined by South Africa’s Award winning Freshly Ground and UK’s Courtney Pine. The Annual Lagos International Jazz Festival organised by Inspiro productions is part of the Lagos Tourism Arts & Culture Calendar and is supported by the Lagos State Government and Lagos Tourism amongst others.