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The third edition of the Bob Collymore International Jazz Festival, named after the late Safaricom CEO who single-handedly popularised the genre in Kenya, will take place on 15 February 2025.
The event will feature a dazzling mix of new local acts and those from the regional and international spheres.
Following a competitive audition process in late 2024, the festival attracted several new acts, such as the Kaima Mwiti Quintet and Judah and the Tribe, a dynamic nine-piece Afro-jazz band. All of them have signed up for this year's edition.
"Our audition process attracted several new acts, proving that our ecosystem continues to grow in support of Kenya's creative economy," said Wambui Collymore, Festival Director.
The Kenyan acts will join a roster of international artists from Germany, Mozambique, and Barbados to be announced soon.
Bob Collymore's deep love for jazz led him to create the Safaricom International Jazz Festival, which became one of the few popular must-attend daytime events and one of the biggest annual events in the Kenyan entertainment calendar.
The event attracted jazz legends such as Salif Keita, the late Manu Dibango, and Hugh Masekela, who all performed there.
Bob, a polished saxophonist in his prime, passed away in 2019 after a long battle with cancer. His death also marked the end of the Safaricom International Jazz Festival, which had raised over Sh37 million, with all proceeds going to benefit young boys and girls from underprivileged families in the cities.
Four years after his death, Bob's widow, Ms Wambui, launched the BC International Jazz Festival in his honor and love for the transformative power of music, with the inaugural event held at the Carnivore grounds on July 1, 2023.
Thousands of Nairobians turned out for the event, which featured an all-star line-up of Kenya's finest jazz artists.
Proceeds from the BC International Jazz Festival will also facilitate music education for youth in Kenya through organizations such as the Ghetto Classics program. Specifically, the proceeds will provide young adults with access to artistic expression and education that is not available through traditional education systems.
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