Jill Scott, Seun Kuti and other int’l acts rock Lagos Jazz series

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By Amina Brai Omoike

From the 27th of November to the 1st of December, the city of Lagos will be entertained by some of the world’s top music acts as the fourth edition of the Lagos Jazz Series kicks off. This edition promises to sell out quickly.

Seun kuti

This year, there would be eight events on five different stages and this promises to be the biggest ever live music festival in Nigeria yet! The festival would be a blend of traditional jazz, smooth jazz, neo soul, R & B, Afrobeat and hip-hop. 

jill scott

This year’s series will be a music festival like none before it as Grammy award-winning artistes will be featured in fantastic outdoor locations in eight events for five consecutive days. Four of those five days will have two simultaneous events at different locations.  Artistes to feature at the event are:

Marcus Miller: Marcus is a two-time Grammy Award winner, bassist, composer, producer of 10 critically acclaimed and genre defying albums, multi-instrumentalist, and he was also the last primary collaborator with the jazz legend, Miles Davis. He is the genius behind the sound of many popular Luther Vandross’ songs.

Pat Metheny: This prolific artiste is an American jazz guitarist, composer and 20-time Grammy Award winner. His music is original and stretches across the boundaries of jazz and other genres, making it possible for him to perform any kind of music without losing his audience.

Jill Scott: A mature, 13 nominated and three-time Grammy award winning, Jazz/R&B/Spoken Word/Soul/Neo Soul/Hip Hop vocalist who excelled most with slower, sensual material (“A Long Walk,”) and was versatile enough to pack plenty of punch with anthems of pride and self-empowerment ("Golden"). She is also a songwriter, actress and poet.

Branford Marsalis: Branford Marsalis is an American saxophonist, composer and bandleader. He has received the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) Jazz Master award and won two Grammy awards. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ensembles and has led the group Buckshot LeFonque.

Seun Kuti: Oluseun Anikulapo Kuti, commonly known as Seun Kuti, is a Nigerian musician, and the youngest son of legendary afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Seun leads his father's former band Egypt 80.

Robert Glasper: Robert Glasper is a jazz pianist with a knack for mellow, harmonically complex compositions that also reveal a subtle hip-hop influence. His 2012 album Black Radio won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 2013 Grammy Awards.

M.I. Abaga: A proficient producer, lyricist, songwriter and instrumentalist, M.I has been described as the future of African Hip-Hop.

Antibalas: Influenced by Nigerian Afro-beat, American soul, and Latin dance grooves, Antibalas performs their particular style based on the combination of different cultures immersed in the band. Antibalas is the group behind the Fela on Broadway show.

This year’s lineup of artistes is a diversity and fusion of all music genres, each powerful and electrifying in their performance. Lagos Jazz Series has gone five notches higher this year by bringing to Lagosians the “Africa Stage” which will be at the Muri Okunola Park where music in all its different genres is embraced and performed by these distinct artistes yet similar to each other in their love for music, soul and performance.