The 2019 edition of the Lagos International Jazz Festival (LIJF) themed ‘Music & the creative arts as tools to address the dangers and perils of illegal/irregular mass migration’ organised by Inspiro Productions in partnership with Sloweganzi was a success. The event founded by event impresario Ayoola Sadare in 2008 held over two days at Freedom Park, Lagos on April 29 and 30, 2019 (International Jazz Day). The event was also the climax of the annual April Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) celebrated globally.
Sadare said that “plans for the International Jazz Day 2020 celebration scheduled to be held for the first time in Africa in Cape Town, South Africa on April 30, 2020 with a high-level Lagos International Jazz Festival delegation attending is being organised to represent Nigeria”.
Several fringe events preceded this year’s festival during the JAM like the LOUD Beach festival, held at the Landmark leisure beach Oniru on April 21 & Umutu Jazz Immersion show held on April 28 at Umutu Italian restaurant Victoria Island Lagos.
On stage for the two days thrilling a large and receptive audience to different genres of music were a lineup of numerous up-and-coming and established Jazz & Jazz related musicians from different countries including David Freisen an accomplished veteran jazz bassist from the United States of America who played alongside Nigeria’s Bright Gain on the duo’s latest project ‘View Point of View’ to be released under Origin Records USA in November 2019. Award-winning Kenyan Trumpeter Christine Kamau showed dexterity in performance switching between her trumpet playing, singing and piano play, while Johannesburg-based Nigeria International guitarist Sam Ayunke was in form as he performed some hit songs from his repertoire and other popular musicians in a Jazzy fashion. The winner of the individual category of the recently concluded African Drum Festival in Abeokuta Aimad Kachna of Morocco also made a cameo appearance and gave Lagos glimpse into his world.
Also worthy of note on the second day of the event, the Bright Gain-led SPAN Academy of Jazz and Contemporary Music held their monthly JAZZ-A-THON show alongside the festival at Freedom Park. The seamless synergy with the Lagos International Jazz Festival was laudable. Students of the school had the opportunity to showcase their levels of musicianship and what they were learning in the course of their study at the academy. Other musicians who fascinated the audience with outstanding performances during the festival included Nigerian songstress Waje, Afrojazz Super bassist Wole Jesutomi, the enigmatic Orliam and fresh revelation SamDerry & his group. Other lady singers like Bibi and Poshryna held their own to the delight of the audience.
As promised and in line with the festival’s theme, LIJF festival director Ayoola Sadare in partnership with Pretty Okafor PMAN National President representing the Creative Sector launched the Creative Arts Coalition Against Irregular Migration (CACAIM) project, which is an initiative to address the growing concerns around illegal migration using different current creative art disciplines. The initiative seeks to empower would-be migrants and returnees by enlightenment, engagement and empowerment.
The Lagos International Jazz Festival was supported by Sovereign Trust Insurance plc, PMAN, Lagos Tourism, Freedom Park, Pentagon, Action, Steady Pace, Latobak, NAIJAZZ and a host of leading online and offline media houses.
