Ø As the sun set on a bright Saturday afternoon at the Stone Water Eco Resort in Santarem Beach in Goa, sounds of extraordinary guitar riffs filled the soundscapes at JIC’s Goa International Jazz Live Festival 2017
Ø Jazz aficionados from across India and the rest of the world gathered in numbers for a weekend with some of the most exciting and innovative contemporary jazz performers
Ø GIJLF features eight spectacular Indian and international bands including Jojo Mayer with his music collective NERVE, popular Swiss-born French trumpeter Erik Truffaz with Mumbai-based electronic musician Riatsu, DCF: A Tribute to Madfingers, Kefaya, The Latination, Pol Belardi’s Urban 5, Florian Favre Trio and Vasundhra Vee
Jazz India Circuit's Goa International Jazz Live Festival (GIJLF) kicked off on Saturday, December 9th at the Stone Water Eco Resort in Goa with performances by the homegrown electronica inspired DCF: Tribute to Madfingers, eclectic groove jazz band Pol Belardi’s Urban 5 from Luxembourg, London-based 'guerrilla jazz' band Kefaya - that blew audiences away - and Vasundhara Vee, one of India’s top vocalists specialising in jazz, soul, RnB, blues and funk. Arguably one of the most promising contemporary jazz festivals in the region, Jazz India Circuit’s GIJLF headlines Swiss jazz fusion pioneer Jojo Mayer along with his music collective NERVE.
Produced and presented by pioneering entertainment company Teamwork Arts, the Jazz India Circuit’s Goa International Jazz Live Festival (GIJLF), running through 9th and 10th of December, is an experimental, up-tempo, funky celebration of jazz identified with diverse genres like punk, funk hip-hop, R&B and other forms of music.
DCF: Tribute to Madfingers took to the stage first with their electronica inspired jazz medley highlighting drums and synthesizers with up-tempo sounds exploring genres of funk, acid, hip-hop fused with jazz, followed by Pol Belardi’s Urban 5 who skilfully blended an eclectic blend of genres, the highlight being the German rap fusion Glück und Pech. At the end of performance, one of the band members said, ‘Playing at Jazz India Circuit’s GIJLF was one of those rare times where we completely enjoyed every moment of the show even as we played and not just after. The audience was amazingly receptive and the atmosphere was magical as the last light set on the sea just when we began our piece.’
The evening progressed with an extraordinary performance by London-based Kefaya with their Arabic and classical-influenced brew of jazz that sought to find common ground between folk traditions of the world and avant-garde sound rooted firmly in the 21st century. With a name inspired by the unofficial Arabic name for the Arab Spring in Egypt – Kefaya in Arabic means “enough” - and an underlying message of peace and tolerance, their performance truly moved audiences to get on the floor and shake an enthusiastic leg to their rhythm.
The first day of GIJLF culminated with the melodic voice of Vasundhara Vee who transfixed the audience with her vocal dexterity and her upbeat, foot-tapping grooves. Effortlessly blending a mix of jazz, soul and R&B, she had the audiences asking for more.
Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, the festival producers said “GIJLF is a sublime experience filled with great music, good food and good company all set against the backdrop of a moonlit sea; it doesn’t get more magical than this! Goa, in recent times is seeing a cultural renaissance with a slew of festivals.’
On Sunday, audiences will witness the fist-pumping, head-shaking music that has become synonymous with the Swiss-born genius Jojo Mayer along with fellow headliner and equally gifted trumpeter Eric Truffaz in collaboration with Mumbai-based ambient electronic musician Riatsu, and a stunning line-up of Indian and international acts that transcend diverse modern-day interpretations of jazz. Also performing are The Latination, one of those rare, genuine Latin-jazz acts in the country which blends salsa and rumba with contemporary jazz, dance-compelling Afro rhythms with strong, sophisticated harmonic sounds and Caribbean melodies; and Swiss wonder, pianist Florian Favre in the Florian Favre Trio featuring compositions which are not only refined, intense, and imprinted with a masterful minimalism, but demonstrate a will to transverse stylistic barriers.
GIJLF takes audiences not just on a musical journey through contemporary jazz but through also a whole gamut of emotion, including the ambience, the company of many jazz-lovers, local cuisine, delectable drinks, and an infectious, heady, tuneful energy. With the salty sea air and the gentle December sun, the lush ocean-front vistas at the sylvan Stonewater Eco Resort, jazz-lovers congregate with a permeating sense of both languor and zest.
After the exhilarating cocktail of new age jazz in Goa, enthusiasts can look forward to two legendary JIC Concerts in Delhi in February and March 2018, also featuring leading percussionists from the world of jazz. The headliners for the twin concerts in Delhi are yet to be announced.
EVENT DETAILSJIC’s Goa International Jazz Live Festival:
When: 9h and 10th December, 2017, 7:00 PM onwards
Where: Stone Water Eco Resort, Santrem Beach, Vasco da Gama, Goa
Entry: Rs.1500/- (Early Bird- Includes GST)
Festival Packages: Starting from Rs.12,500/- for 2 nights up to Rs.34,400/- for 3 nights. Festival package includes two Festival Passes, Airport Transfers, double occupancy room with Breakfast at selected hotel, F&B coupons, a jam session with the in-house band, Acapella by the Bay and priority registration for activities like water sports and martial arts workshops.
