Local musicians are jamming with international artists at the Jazz Utsav.
Jazz Utsav, the city’s biggest jazz festival, has returned this year with an exceptional line-up. The festival began on Wednesday night with the Salsa Bop Band, followed last night by a set from Talvin Singh and Eric Truffaz. The festival will continue tonight through to Saturday night, with sets by acts including the Louiz Banks Matrixx Band, American Larry Carlton, and the Ranjit Barot Group.
Jazz Utsav is the annual coming together of jazz music, jazz musicians and jazz fans for three days in Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore. Since the 1980s, when it was known as the Jazz Yatra, this festival of music has been one of the highpoints of the cultural calendar in these cities. From the early years, musicians from all over the world, many of them household names, like Sonny Rollins, Trilok Guru and Freddie Hubbard, have enthralled audiences. The Utsav this year has an equally formidable global line-up, with bands and artists from Italy, Norway, The Netherlands, the United States, Germany and Poland.
Prakash Thadani has been involved in the organisation of the festival since 1978. He says that the Utsav will serve as a perfect introduction for jazz newbies who aren’t yet fans of this genre. “The festival has a line-up of many different styles and genres of jazz, as well as a combination of Indian artists such as the Ranjit Barot Group who will be jamming with international artists.” He has seen a rise in the younger crowds who attend the Utsav, and puts this down to better exposure and appreciation. Although in 2008 and 2009, the festival encountered a few hiccups — being cancelled in 2008 in light of the 26/11 terrorist attacks, and shifting venues at the last minute in 2009 leading to many attendees cashing in their tickets - this year, the festival has shifted back to the NCPA, at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, which was the venue in 2005.
Jazz Utsav tickets are priced at Rs300, Rs600 and Rs900. Buy tickets for the shows from www.jazzutsav.com, Inorbit Mall, In & Out stores, or www.kyazoonga.com. To know more about the Utsav, call 98205 59097
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