Jazzing up Kathmandu again

Kathmandu’s other jazz festival, KatJazz, returns for its sixth iteration this month, blending contemporary tunes with the rich traditional music of Nepal and beyond. This eight-day music fest starts on 22 April and concludes with a grand celebration of a finale on the UNESCO recognised International Jazz Day on 30 April.

The very first KatJazz in 2017 had jazz education as its objective. The festival has come a long way since and has been integral in further lifting Nepal’s jazz scene, perfectly aligning with the theme this year ‘The Jazz Trail to Kathmandu: Past Voices. Global Sounds. Future Harmonies.’

“This festival is a two-way thing. It brings Western jazz music to Nepal but it simultaneously puts Nepal’s music to world music,” says Abhisek Bhadra, academic director of Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory (KJC), co-organiser of the festival. 

This year’s lineup features 15 international and 12 Nepali musicians as well as 11 women musicians of KJC Rajamati Choir. “Our emphasis has been on local artists and the collaboration that will take place between the ensemble,” adds Bhadra. 

The ‘Taking the Lead: The Diverse Voices of Women in Jazz’ session scheduled for 27 April is set to be the highlight of the entire festival. The session will celebrate female musicians in the jazz scene with performances from Juliana Rodrigues, Enji and Maria Fajardo.

The artists have all worked extensively, blending jazz with the traditional and folk music of their homelands. Says Abhisek Bhadra: “We are celebrating contemporary jazz music while acknowledging and appreciating traditional music of Nepal and elsewhere.”  

Read also: Jazzing up the ‘Mandu for 20 years, Aïsha MacDougall

Ben van den Dungen Quartet  
(The Netherlands)

Ben van den Dungen is an acclaimed Dutch Jazz saxophonist who started his concert career in the early 1980s and has since performed in 6,000 concerts in 70 different countries. His band, Ben van den Dungen Quartet, has regularly toured South America, Russia, Indonesia, South Korea, China, India and Europe. 

At KatJazz, the quartet is paying tribute to the legendary saxophonist John Coltrane, one of the most influential saxophonists of all time. In this dazzling ode, they present a contemporary interpretation of a repertoire that has rightly been labelled as 'classics'.

Ben van den Dungen – Saxophone | Miguel Rodriguez – Piano | Steve Zwanink – Bass | Mitchel Damen – Drums

Enji 

(Mongolia/Germany)

Enkhjargal Erkhembayar ‘Enji’ is a Mongolian-born Jazz singer and songwriter. As such, there is a touch of Mongolian folk to her music. Enji’s previous album, 'Ursgal,' received acclaim from The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Guardian, making it to the Best Jazz Albums of 2023. She was also invited to perform for COLORS in Berlin.

For this year’s lineup, she is joined by Martin Zenker on double bass and Paul Brandle on guitar, adding new dimensions to her already extraordinary sound.

Enji - Voice | Martin Zenker - Bass |Paul Brandle - Guitar

Read also: Bass and No Treble, Sajeet M Rajbhandari

Gyan Residency

The Gyan-KJC Residency, a crucial part of the KatJazz festivals, has been providing a space for collaborative dialogue through music. This year, it brings together Nepali maestros Shree KC (dhrupad vocals), Santosh Bhakta Shrestha (esraj), and Jagannath Dhaugoda (tabla), alongside international artists from Chile (Tomas Carrasco, Moa Edmunds), Brazil (Juliana Rodrigues), Spain (Javier Galiana, Javi Delgado, Guillermo Martín-Viana, Pedro Cortejosa), Mongolia (Enji Erkhem), and Nepali folk musicians, including Pushpa Palanchoke.

Before 22 April, these participating artists will discuss Hindustani music, Nepali folk, and Western music in workshops aimed at deepening the understanding of Hindustani music among Western performers and vice-versa, fostering cross-cultural learning.

In the next phase from 23-25 April, all the artists will collaborate and put together a blended music piece which will be showcased at the Gyan-KJC Residency concert on 30 April at Moksh in Jhamsikhel. 

Jhuma Limbu and Raithane Music 

(Nepal)

With over two decades of experience in the Nepali music industry, Jhuma Limbu is a highly skilled folk singer renowned for her performances across diverse genres including cultural, folk, playback, patriotic, and modern music. Limbu is dedicated to preserving and promoting Nepal's rich indigenous musical traditions. This concert is a fundraiser for her ongoing album-recording project in collaboration with Chilean musicians Tomás Carrasco and Moa Edmunds, and Nepali producer, keyboardist and arranger Abhisek Bhadra.

Jhuma Limbu - Voice | Manice Gandarva - Sarangi | Tomás Carrasco - Flutes | Moa Edmunds - Guitar | Abhisek Bhadra - Piano | Sudhir Acharya - Percussion | Javier Delgado -
Upright Bass

Read also: Orchestrating cross-cultural collaboration, Tayama Rai

Juliana Rodrigues 

(Brazil)

A pianist and composer from Sao Paulo, Juliana Rodrigues has released two albums, Vive and Mnemosine, showcasing her unique and diverse musical background. Her team of three performs with excellent cohesion, bringing her compositions to life with a repertoire of rhythms, phrasing, and collective improvisation. 

Rodrigues is also a member of the women-only samba group Dona da Rua, which recently released singles Filha da Luta and Que Venha em Mim. She has performed at Sala São Paulo, Festival Jazz al Este, Instrumental SESC Brasil, Savassi Festival, and Sonamos Latinoamérica.

Juliana Rodrigues - Piano | Rajat Rai - Bass | Prajwal B.K. (Punku) - Drums

Samyog Regmi and Co.
(Nepal/Spain)

Samyog Regmi, born in Nepal, was immersed in diverse musical influences from an early age, including local traditional music, jazz, and Eastern classical music. An alumni of the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory (KJC), Regmi pursued musical studies in the Netherlands. His compositions span various ensembles, including his quintet (a group of five playing music/ singing together), septet (a group of seven playing music/ singing together), and the Conservatory of Amsterdam Big Band. 

Recently, Samyog released his album Unpopular Opinion. At KatJazz 2024, get ready to witness his musical craft accompanied by international artists from Chile and Spain.

Guillermo Martín-Viana (Spain) -  Drums | Tomás Carrasco (Chile) -  Flute/Sax  |  Pedro Cortejosa (Spain) - Saxophone | Javi Delgado (Spain) - Upright Bass

Versados Despistados Quartet 

(Spain)

The four Andalusian (south of Spain) musicians that make up Versados Despistados Quartet have been in the national and international scene for years. With their own voice and classic jazz instrumentation, this quartet explores the fusion between different forms of Andalusian and Afro-American music.

Featuring Pedro Cortejosa on saxophone, Javier Galiana on piano, Javier Delgado on double bass, and Guillermo Martín-Viana on drums, Versados Despistados, which translates to ‘versed scatterbrains’ takes the audience on a dynamic journey of sound with freshness and a sense of humor that catches one by surprise.

Pedro Cortejosa - Tenor saxophone | Javier Galiana - Piano | Javier Delgado - Double Bass | Guillermo Martín-Viana - Drums

Read also: In Nepal, East meets West musically, Shrijan Pandey

SCHEDULE

Piano Explorations with Javi Galiana and Juliana Rodrigues 

Monday, 22 April 

7PM onwards 

Rs800

Alliance Française, Pulchok 

Samyog Regmi and Co. 

Tuesday, 23 April

7PM onwards 

Rs800

Jazz Upstairs, Lazimpat 

A Tribute to Coltrane by Ben Van Den Dungen Quartet 

Wednesday, 24 April 

7PM onwards 

Rs800 

Dhokaima cafe, Patandhoka 

Enji (Enkhjargal Erkhembayar)

Thursday, 25 April 

7PM onwards 

Rs800 

Moksh, Jhamsikhel 

Versados Despistados 

Friday, 26 April 

7PM onwards 

Rs800

EDN Sanepa 

Taking the Lead: The Diverse Voices of Women in Jazz with Juliana Rodrigues, Enji, Maria Fajardo 

Saturday, 27 April 

6PM onwards 

Rs1000

Yellow House, Sanepa 

Jhuma Limbu and Raithane Music

Monday, 29 April

7PM onwards 

Rs1000

Mandala Theatre, Thapagaun

International Jazz Day Concert

Tuesday, 30 April 

7PM onwards  

Rs1200

Moksh, Jhamsikhel