MUMBAI: Jazz has always been about exploring freedom, crossing boundaries, going beyond one’s limits and deconstructing traditional techniques to produce contemporary interpretations that redefine the meaning of modern music. Bringing back the magical symphonies of the experimental genre, Teamwork Arts’ Jazz India Circuit is back with its 2019 edition featuring path-breaking contemporary jazz musicians from India and around the world who continue to push the boundaries of the genre today.
The Jazz India Circuit is the one-stop destination to hear the newest and most diverse acts in contemporary jazz. Just as it has done for so many years, the Jazz India Circuit brings the best of modern jazz to Goa. Experimental, up-tempo, funky and daring, jazz has always been at the cutting edge of what’s possible, and this year is no different. With a definite aim to push the boundaries of what typically constitutes the sound of the genre, the Jazz India Circuit 2019 brings international and local artistes from across the jazz spectrum for a celebration of the genre like no other.
The Goa leg of Jazz India Circuit will be held at the International Centre Goa, from November 30 to December 1st 2019. This experimental, up-tempo and funky celebration of jazz will be juxtaposed with diverse genres like punk, funk, hip-hop, R&B and other forms of music.
This year, Jazz India Circuit Goa boasts an unbelievable lineup of eclectic artistes and celebrated performers. High-energy Canadian band The Shuffle Demons will showcase their signature genre bending, visually entertaining and funny compositions. Acclaimed singer and songwriter Macha Gharibian will create an elegant blend of jazz, folk and pop with the terrific Macha Gharibian Trio. Described as ‘one of the most important musicians of his generation’, virtuoso guitarist par excellence, Simon Thacker brings his pioneering guitar style to India for the first time ever. Karan Khosla & Co. will bring together seasoned jazz musicians from Goa and across India to play an authentic jazz set that spans the gamut of the jazz idiom, from bebop to contemporary.
The circuit will also see The Turbans bring together sounds from ‘(m)anywhere’ with their interstellar live show. One of the most influential Lithuanian jazz units, Dainius Pulaskas Group, will showcase their unique brand of progressive Lithuanian jazz-fusion. Norway-based collaborative musical group Monoswezi will perform traditional African songs mixed with cool Scandinavian jazz. Swiss post-jazz quartet The Great Harry Hillman will combine jazz, rock and improv into a subdued, layered yet thrilling sound.
Talking about the Goa leg of Jazz India Circuit 2019, Teamwork Arts Managing Director Sanjoy K. Roy, said, “At Teamwork Arts we’re constantly pushing the boundaries and creating novel experiences in the world of performing arts. The Jazz India Circuit celebrates the best of contemporary jazz bringing new idioms and the innovative spirit of jazz to the forefront for Indian audiences. JIC Goa showcases experimental jazz that blends diverse genres like punk, funk, hip-hop, folk and world music.”
This year, Jazz India Circuit will offer much more with music workshops, interactive experiential spaces, a bustling flea market, a vibrant food court with flavours from all over the globe and a feast of art and craft activities. With all these exciting elements, Jazz India Circuit 2019 is sure to be an incredible celebration of life, music and freedom.
Over the last four years, Jazz India Circuit has featured the likes of Stanley Jordan, Dave Weckl, Jojo Mayer|NERVE, Jamison Ross, House of Waters and 30+ riff-tearing, chops-flaring, brilliant musicians from around the country and the world.
Here’s the download on artistes featuring at the Jazz India Circuit Goa – Nov – 30th to Dec 1st at International Centre Goa, Dona Paula in Goa.
The Shuffle Demons first broke onto the Canadian music scene with an electrifying musical fusion that drew in equal measure from Sun Ra, Charles Mingus, Run DMC, and the Beastie Boys. This band was genre-bending, highly visually entertaining, funny and, best of all, could really PLAY. All their eye-catching, crowd-pleasing stunts were backed up by incredibly solid musicianship and real groundbreaking playing. Over the course of their illustrious career, The Shuffle Demons have released eight CDs, two hit videos won several music awards, done numerous TV and radio appearances and toured nationally and internationally including 25 cross-Canada tours, 5 US tours, 17 European tours, as well as tours of the Caribbean, Central, and South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand playing on big festival stages, theatres and clubs. The Shuffle Demons play a mix of funk jazz, hard bop jazz and jazz rap, wear spectacular hand-painted suits and love to parade through the audience.
The Macha Gharibian Trio has Macha Gharibian on piano and vocals, Dré Pallemaerts on drums and David Potaux-Razel on electric guitar. Singer, pianist, songwriter and composer Macha Gharibian was raised on the road with her musician father. Her music is an elegant blend of jazz folk-pop mysteriously born between Paris, Erevan & New York. Macha Gharibian's album Trans Extended places her music in the unclassifiable category, given her very personal style combining elements of oriental jazz with neo-classical and adventurous pop music. A bold composer, she carves out heavenly melodies. An ethereal pianist and vigorous singer, she turns them into intense, spellbinding pieces.
Simon Thacker is a Scottish composer, classical guitarist, improviser and ensemble leader whose ever-expanding musical world draws on a deep immersion in diverse cultures. Having led some of today’s most prescient intercultural ensembles, Simon brings his pioneering experiences to the art of solo guitar in Pashyanti. Simon’s highly individual, iconoclastic music explores every facet of the instrument, ranging from beguiling digital delay driven soundscapes, muscular improvisations utilizing his many inspirations to reimaginings of Tagore. His instinctive rhythmic gift is as ferocious as it is layered and gives his music an unmistakable intensity. Pashyanti, is the latest stage in this journey and will mark Simon’s debut solo tour of India.
Karan Khosla & Co. brings together seasoned jazz musicians from Goa and across India to play an authentic jazz set that spans the gamut of the jazz idiom, from bebop to contemporary. The group features Sava Boyadhziev on drums, Ekaterina Eristova on upright bass, Xavier Peres on piano and keyboard, Yvonne Gonsalves on vocals and Karan Khosla on guitar.
The Turbans bind together sounds from ‘anywhere’ with their interstellar live shows which are sure to ignite the crowd. Sonically huge and visually arresting, The Turbans are a powerhouse of talent, bringing their vibrant and unique sound to audiences who can do nothing more than smile, dance, and shout for joy. Growing from the intertwining paths of many talented musicians traveling the world, this extraordinary project has grown in a few years from very humble beginnings, into a progressive name on the London music scene. Its members have gathered from countries such as Turkey, Bulgaria, Israel, Iran, Greece, and England to perform in concerts and festivals around the UK, North America, the Middle East, Hong Kong, India and Europe.
Dainius Pulauskas Group was formed in 1996 and instantly became one of the most influential and leading Lithuanian jazz units and an internationally renowned ambassador of Lithuanian jazz. Jazz critic Jan Patterson described them as ‘a unique sextet whose mixture of melody and muscle, lyricism and the unexpected, places it firmly at the forefront of progressive European jazz-fusion’. The group leader Dainius Pulauskas is characterized as without a doubt, one of the most interesting composers at the fusion end of European jazz, and has been at the helm of this sextet for seventeen years.
Monoswezi are a collective of musicians from Mozambique, Norway, Sweden and Zimbabwe-based in Norway. With a common passion for African music in general and music from Zimbabwe and Mozambique in particular, Monoswezi seeks a musical expression, where respect for tradition is combined with different references and experiences from pop and jazz. They describe their sound as traditional African songs mixed with cool Scandinavian jazz. Monoswezi sees Hope Masike on vocals, mbira and percussion, Calu Tsemane on vocals and percussion, Hallvard Godal on saxophone, clarinet and mellotron, Putte Johander on bass and Erik Nylander on drums and percussion.
The Great Harry Hillman is a Swiss post-jazz quartet, which has been playing together for almost ten years. You’re correct to assume that a band named in tribute to an American athlete of the early 20th century is not your ‘normal’ jazz band adhering to staid standards. Their music combines jazz, rock and improv into a subdued, layered yet thrilling sound - quiet but powerful, played by four thoughtful musicians who are more than capable of rocking out when they feel like it. The Great Harry Hillman thinks of itself as a collective, with nobody dominating the creative process and everyone making their voice heard. The Great Harry Hillman has Nils Fisher on clarinet-bass, David Koch on guitar, Samuel Huwyler on bass and Dominik Mahnig on drums.
Listing Details:
What: Jazz India Circuit Goa
When: November 30th to December 1st 2019
Where: International Centre Goa
Entry: Tickets available at www.jazzindiacircuit.com