2018 Project - xJAZZ Music Residency
23 - 30th September 2018, Lilongwe, Malawi. The weeklong music and creative project will bring together female artists from Southern Africa and the UK working in the contemporary jazz scene.
Creative Hustle: 27 September, Lilongwe, Malawi. Creative Hustles session at 1Five Entertainment where ideas and insights about the music sector will be shared.
Performance: 27 September, Lilongwe, Malawi. Live music jam session by the band and other local artists at Area 10 Café
Performance: 28 & 30 September, Lake of Stars. Banou Azania will then moves to Lake of Stars Malawi Arts Festival with performances on Friday 28 and Sunday 30 September.
Performance: 2 October, Johannesburg, South Africa. Untitled Basement. Event page.
Facebook: Video, meet the xJAZZ band
Facebook: Live from the Johannesburg performance (2 October 2018)
Instagram Stories: Meet the xJAZZ band
From the 23rd to 30th September 2018, six young and critically acclaimed musicians from five countries will assemble in Lilongwe, Malawi for xJazz, an exciting jazz music residency programme. The weeklong music and creative project will bring together female artists from Southern Africa and the UK working in the contemporary jazz scene. The residency creates opportunities for new connections, collaborations and showcasing while providing a platform for the artists to share insights, ideas, expertise and to broaden their networks. The Residency will culminate in a live performance of collaborative material by the band at the Lake of Stars Malawi Music Festival 2018.
The first residency band “Banou Azania or Royal Africa” will comprise a multi-country ensemble of the most sought after jazz talent including Isobella Burnham – Bass (UK), Marlyn Chimombo – Vocals (Malawi), Sheila Maurice-Grey – Trumpet (UK), Siya Makuzeni - Trombone (South Africa), Micah Miyanda – Guitar (Zambia) and Kasiva Mutua – Drummer (Kenya).
With multifaceted skills including composition, arrangement, improvisation, song writing, lyrics and vocals, the band will create a unique and experimental sound that infuses African music with traditional Jazz elements. The band’s residency activities include creating music, networking and external activities. This will include a music workshop with young women at the Music Cross Roads centre on Thursday 27 September followed by a Creative Hustles session at 1Five Entertainment where ideas and insights about the music sector will be shared. The activity packed day will end of with a live music jam session by the band and other local artists at Area 10 Café. Banou Azania will then move to Lake of Stars Malawi Arts Festival will showcase performances on Friday 28 and Sunday 30 September.
The xJazz Music Residency is a project by the British Council in partnership with Lake of Stars Malawi Arts Festival, Umodzi Park, Music Cross Roads, The Presidents Hotel, 1Five Entertainment and Airtel Malawi.
The residency will then move to Johannesburg, South Africa from the 1st to 4th October where the band will showcase a collaborative live performance as well as engage with other young women in the music sector.
Siya Makuzeni, curator and band leader for the project says, “Through the xJazz music residency the aim is to bring together young and phenomenal jazz musicians who happen to be women, from five countries different countries; for them to experiment, create music together and build connections that will hopefully be beneficial to their careers going forward while inspiring other young women to pick up music instruments.”
For more information about the xJazz Music Residency and to follow the various activities please visit:
British Council: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Qoncept Creative: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
