Anneleen Boehme;
Credit: Sven Dullaert
The Brandbau (Prabbeli) cultural centre in Wiltz will put on the first edition of the music event Jazzorwhatever!? on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 April 2024.
This event will combine jazz with contemporary beats and dances through an electronic spectrum. It will be a musical celebration fusing smooth jazz tunes with vibrant rhythms, futuristic sounds and beats. Co-curated by John Wolter and Mateus Wojda, the two days aim to offer a great variety of performers.
Speaking to Chronicle.lu about the upcoming festival, Cultural Coordinator Marc Scheer said: "The idea behind the festival is also to show different genres and colours of jazz music and we thought this selection of artists would be an ideal launch for a new music event. But honestly, it was not easy because there a such a huge range of fabulous local and international acts and musicians that would fit our idea of the festival... so this is the beginning and we have the intention to carry on with Jazzorwhatever!?"
On Friday 5 April from 19:00, double bassist Anneleen Boehme, a key figure within the Belgian jazz scene, will play a solo. Pianist Wajdi Riahi will perform with his trio, combining his Tunisian heritage with his passion for jazz. Furthermore, Esinam, a Belgian-Ghanaian multi-instrumentalist based in Brussels, will create a musical world of her own, filled with rhythms, grooves, melodies and loops.
On Saturday 6 April, also from 19:00, Amsterdam-based fusion/hip-hop group Radiohop is set to explore the connection between grooves and jazz. Next up is Aka Moon; the group formed of three musicians (Stéphane Galland on drums, Michel Hatzigeorgiou on bass and Fabrizio Cassol on saxophone) has played in more than 30 countries and worked together with various musicians, choreographers and artists from all over the world.
Additionally, LINQ, Mateus Wojda's project, will present a cross-over between hip hop, punk rock and modern-day jazz. Albeit a very intimate project initiated by Wojda, LINQ is powered by the expertise of John Wolter (drums), Pit Dahm (keys), Pierre Cocq-Amann (saxophone) and Gilles Grethen (guitar). Last but not least, Kuna Maze (aka Edouard Gilbert) found his base in Brussels through his journey into introspective electronic bass music. Kuna Maze studied at various music institutions in France, including the Conservatoire de Lyon and the Conservatoire de Chambery, where he learnt and perfected jazz trumpet. The French-born producer, DJ and multi-instrumentalist, as many of his generation, first discovered his inspiration in the Los Angeles beat scene, before evolving his sound to broken beats and a wide spectrum of leftfield electronic music, using jazz as the focal point in the creation of his art.
Presales for 5 April will cost €17, €20 for 6 April and €30 for a two-day ticket, with additional taxes to be added. More information can be found at www.prabbeli.lu.
(Cultural Coordinator Marc Scheer; photo credit: Mike Zenari)
