Preview: North Sea Jazz Festival – AHOY (Rotterdam, Netherlands; Friday 13th to Sunday 15th July 2018
Over 1,000 musicians will come together in Rotterdam for the North Sea Jazz Festival, the largest festival in Europe for the genre. Not just solely focused on jazz, a diverse range of acts will be playing world-jazz, swing, Latin, African, soul and funk rhythms. Initially founded in the ‘70s, the festival started with immediate flair as the first year alone saw Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz share the stage.
The full line-up has not yet been announced for 2018. However, the program is already laden with stars as we see contemporary talent mixing with jazz royalty. Here we shine a light on a number of stand-out acts who will be appearing on this year’s line-up.
Pharoah Sanders is a spiritual master and is cited as one of the best tenor saxophonists in the world. Having played with John Coltrane and Sun Ra’s Arkestra, he combines sheer dexterity with a higher sense of connection that binds your soul. He is now in his late seventies and plays shorter sets but will still challenge any other player with his depth of sound.
Oumou Sangaré is a commanding Wassoulou songstress from Mali who brings traditional music with a modern twist all the way from the banks of the Niger River. Sangaré is a powerful voice incorporating her fight for female equality with contemporary production effects, pushing boundaries in all directions.
Representing the British jazz movement will be Shabaka Hutchings with his project Sons of Kemet. This group of musicians will blow you away with their fast, ferocious and funky rhythms. Unafraid to explore new territories musically, this is a band that merges new world influences into their own jazz form.
Other notable acts performing at the festival include Cécile McLorin Salvant, an American jazz vocalist who has won numerous singing awards, including a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album. She brings a tongue-in-cheek playfulness to her standards renditions.
BADBADNOTGOOD will bring their hip-hop infused jazz, showing that new music does not need to conform to outdated traditional styles. Jazz supremo Christian Scott will bring New Orleans flavours on his trumpet, calling on Native American and African-American traditions to form his own interpretations.
As the largest indoor jazz festival in the world, this is a time to get your organiser out. No amount of agility training will prepare you for the overlapping performance times, so get ready to leave that FOMO behind and find the strength of conviction to choose which acts you really want to see.
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