Music that moves. That is the tagline of the Safaricom International Jazz Festival. For us as Kenyans, music is an important point of connection and expression. After all, aren’t our own musicians masters of nearly every genre under the sun? With music that travels straight to the soul, when one thinks of great live music in Nairobi, this is the festival that comes to mind.
The festival is essentially the brainchild of Safaricom CEO, Bob Collymore. The businessman envisioned a magnificent, annual event that would bring together musicians of international acclaim but also boast Kenya’s musical talent. In 2014, his vision became reality.
The first festival was held at The Ngong Racecourse, and it was undeniably a success. Nairobi hadn’t yet witnessed an event that would bring out the excellence of Kenya’s musicians. The lights, stage effects and location only accented the tantalizing sounds that reverberated in the warm February air. In the spirit of giving back to the community, the proceeds from this first festival went to support Ghetto Classics, a programme by The Art of Music Foundation which transforms the lives of the children of Nairobi’s slums through musical training. This charitable practice became the norm of the festival.
Beyond the main event, Safaricom also began to host Jazz Lounges biannually. With a more intimate setting, these lounges provided a distinct jazz experience from the larger concert. The 2014 festival had Nairobians hooked. In fact, it would see Kenyans from around the country attend faithfully every February after.
South-African jazz extraordinaire, Jonathan Butler, was the main act in the 2015 Festival, alongside talents such as James Gogo and the Gogo Simo band, Swahili Jazz, and Soweto Kinch. Branford Marsalis rocked the city in 2016. The 2017 Festival saw David Sanborn bring the house down at Kasarani Stadium. With the festival turning five in 2018, talented artists from around the globe, the best of the best, gave their all on the stage. And without losing any momentum, two-time Grammy Award winner, Marcus Miller headlined the 2018’s Jazz Festival, bringing the quality sounds we can’t help but enjoy.
Today, we still reminisce the February festival. The Safaricom Jazz Festivals have radically altered the face of live music in Kenya, not to mention all the talents who have graced the Jazz Lounges over the years. It is surely dedicated to music that moves – both people and barriers.
