Grammy-nominated quartet Hiatus Kaiyote to perform in India for the first time

Jazz India Circuit International Festival Goa DEC 1st and 2nd, 2018

New Delhi: Jazz has always been about freedom, pushing boundaries and deconstructing traditional techniques to produce contemporary interpretations that redefine the future of music. Bringing the magic of this inherently evolutionary and experimental genre, Teamwork Arts’ Jazz India Circuit is back with the 2018-19 season featuring path-breaking contemporary jazz musicians from India and around the world who continue to push the boundaries of the genre today.

The Jazz India Circuit (JIC) is like a modern-day speakeasy, giving music-lovers and jazz aficionados the freedom to dream and live their music the way they want to. The circuit is also a fantastic platform for both young talent from India and world-renowned legends with scintillating performances strewn across the past decade.

The Jazz India Circuit International Festival Goa is an experimental, up-tempo, funky celebration of jazz juxtaposed with diverse genres like punk, funk hip-hop, R&B and other forms of music. On their maiden tour in India, two-time Grammy-nominated Australian soul quartet Hiatus Kaiyote are set to headline the JIC International Festival Goa along with Indian and international jazz powerhouses like keyboardist Jerome Klein from Luxembourg, Goanese drumming legend Lester Godinho, one of Europe’s most exciting jazz groups OZMA, Indian guitar prodigy Rhythm Shaw and his band Orjazzmic, French Afrofunk ensemble Supergombo and finally WorldService Project, leading specialists of British ‘punk-jazz’ and arguably one of the finest and most exported live acts in Europe.

Talking about what’s in store for audiences, Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts, said, “The Jazz India Circuit is your one-stop destination to hear the hippest cats in jazz today. Mix that in with a groovy, completely immersive, almost dizzying, experience that Teamwork Arts is best known for creating, and you’ve got yourself no reason to miss even a riff. We’re enormously excited about the line-up for JIC Goa. Watch this space as Jazz India Circuit counts off the very best from both the contemporary and the classic jazz scene.”

Here’s the download on artistes featuring at the Jazz India Circuit International Festival Goa – Dec 1st and 2nd at the International Centre Goa (ICG) in Panjim

Hiatus Kaiyote is a two-time Grammy-nominated future soul quartet formed in Melbourne in 2011 with Naomi “Nai Palm Saalfield” (on vocals, guitar), Paul Bender (on bass), Simon Mavin (on keyboards) and Perrin Moss (on drums, percussion). In 2013, they were nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Performance for their song “Nakamarra”, performed with Q-Tip. The song appears on their debut album, Tawk Tomahawk. The band released their second album, Choose Your Weapon on 1 May 2015 juxtaposing the acoustic and electronic over 18 tracks and a 70-minute musical adventure. After taking a much-needed hiatus (pun intended!) to recharge and refresh in 2017, the band is now in the process of recording their hotly anticipated third album forging ahead to their own beat.

It’s in his live performances, in an almost pure setting, that Jerome Klein’s music surprises with loud splinters of light, explosion of energy and even frenetic ecstasy when the musicians let their passion take over. After studying classical piano and percussion at the Luxembourg Conservatory, Jérôme was drawn towards the freedom of improvisation and jazz. He devoted himself to drums, vibraphone and piano. He has played with musicians such as Benny Golson, Herb Geller and John Ruocco. In his new project, Jerome works on an array of contrasts in a minimalist setting, slipping into a misty mood of melancholy and dark tones.

Lester Godinho, the Still Waters lead, began his rendezvous with music at the age of six, studying violin up to Grade 8, before switching to drums which was natural since his father, Leslie Godinho, is one of India’s most illustrious drummers. Lester’s passion for music has covered diverse genres encompassing pop, rock, funk, Latin, gospel, jazz, fusion, Western/Indian classical, opera, Bollywood and even hip-hop! Besides being a great performer, Lester is also a good teacher and most of his students are now established drummers.

Improbable is the essence of OZMA, a creative, joyous and adventurous mix, risky and captivating. The quintet is 15 years old with passionate projects which marry music with images. One foot in the liberty of jazz, the other in electro’s trance, both hands covered in greasy rock, OZMA features Edouard Séro-Guillaume on bass and composition, Stéphane Scharlé on drums and composition, Julien Soro on saxophones, Guillaume Nuss on the trombone and Tam de Villiers on guitar. At times soothing, at times powerful, these five seasoned jazzmen put their sense of drama and timing at the service of a new narrative music.

A bona fide child prodigy, Rhythm Shaw is widely regarded as the best guitarist in the country. Rhythm is the guitarist for Ameet Trivedi’s band and occasionally for AR Rahman’s too. He has been touring South Africa, Bangladesh, more recently the UK and Germany, where he’s the highest-selling artiste in terms of CD sales for the last couple of years. Shaw performs at Jazz India Circuit with his band Orjazzmic.

Supergombo is an exciting new offshoot of a cultural blend from France. Their Afrofunk sound probably comes from the Tout Puissant Orchestre Poly-Rythmo and the Headhunters, blended with influences such as Senegalese Mbalax, Congolese Soukous, funk and jazz. Their music is not really “World” although they do retain its frenzied, uncontrollable rhythm. Supergombo’s seven musicians borrow influences from genres, styles, even neighbourhoods such as la Guillotière, a lively Lyon neighbourhood known for its own cultural mix. Their music is distinct and gets people on the dance floor.

WorldService Project, the leading specialists of Brit ‘punk-jazz’, are one of the most exported live acts in their field. Their energetic live shows have taken them to festivals across the world, touring in 18 countries and releasing four highly-acclaimed studio albums. In spring 2018, WorldService Project launched their highly anticipated fourth album, Serve on Rare Noise Records. Fresh off the back of mammoth tours across America, Europe, and Asia, the epic and anthemic live sound of WorldService Project is both thrilling and heart-wrenching, with a theatrical live performance thrown in for good measure, making them one of the finest live acts in Europe.

LISTING DETAILS

What: Jazz India Circuit International Festival Goa

When: December 1st and 2nd, 2018

Where: International Centre Goa (ICG) Panjim

Entry: Tickets available at www.jazzindiacircuit.com

Early Bird Prices – Single Day: Rs.1,200/- , Festival Pass: Rs.1,750/-

Full Price – Single Day: Rs.1,600/-, Festival Pass: Rs.2,100/-