The fourth edition of Jazz Weekender is all the hype with Allysha Joy, Dhanji and Mark de Clive-Lowe among the artiste lineup

On the cusp of a new era, jazz continues to evolve, expand and experiment with all kinds of sounds and genres — all while staying rooted to its ornate identity. It is this quality of adaptability that keeps this genre uniquely relevant and timeless. What else could possibly explain its wide spectrum of popularity that stretches from the African-American communities of New Orleans — where it was born — to New Delhi where an annual contemporary jazz festival is hosted by online radio boxout.fm, Wild City, music agency Gatecrash and its jazz-community-building initiative Jazz in India?

Jazz Weekender at 1AQ
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In its fourth edition now, the two-day music festival, Jazz Weekender, will be held at 1AQ in Mehrauli on October 11. It will stand witness to an amalgam of genre-bending experiments and sonic landscapes that are a reflection of India’s fascination for indie cult music’s interactions with jazz. That said, Australian singer-songwriter Allysha Joy, who is the frontwoman of jazz ensemble 30/70, will be teaming up with an all-Indian band to create a soul, R&B and jazz experience. “Allysha will be backed by Nathan Thomas on bass, Dhir Mody on drums, Shirish Malhotra on saxophone and Mallika Barot on vocals. Each of them has been active in India’s indie and jazz scene for over a decade. Mallika is also the daughter of jazz drummer Ranjit Barot. These musicians are joining Allysha on tour across India as well. Allysha, who is travelling to India as part of her album The Making of Silk world tour, will also be playing in Mumbai, Kolkata and Goa,” informs Tanish Thakker, director of Gatecrash and Jazz in India.

An image from an earlier edition of Jazz Weekender 
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The festival will feature 12 acts, but with band members and collaborators, there will be a total representation of more than 50 artists. The International-artiste lineup includes jazz hybrid pioneer Mark de Clive-Lowe, Berlin-based Caribbean-American award-winning artist Sera Kalo, London’s four-piece group Oreglo and French quartet Marthe that blend Greek and Middle Eastern melodies with jazz, rock and jungle influences. From India, there’s Ahmedabad’s electrifying rapper Dhanji bringing together a 13-piece band for a special jazz-funk collaboration, Bangalore’s Derek & The Cats, hip-hop and R&B artist Meba Ofilia, duo RANJ x Clifr and Goa-based quintet Sambucáda.

London’s four-piece group Oreglo
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Munbir Chawla, co-founder, Wild City, explains: “The festival grew out of a shared love of live music and a desire to reimagine the jazz festival in a contemporary Indian context. The idea was to create a boutique weekend celebrating the genre’s legacy while pushing it forward”.

Ranj x Clifr
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This year’s curation, he adds, highlights the global cross-pollination of jazz with soul, funk and electronic music. He informs that the festival has grown organically, with each edition, and the previous one witnessed a footfall of over 4,000 music aficionados. “While it’s not built around profits, the festival has been sustainable and continues to gain cultural value which provides a platform to performing acts from around India and the world. Like any other festival in the market, we rely on a combination of ticketing, F&B revenue, and collaborations with a variety of brands,” says Munbir. He states that the festival’s partners this year include Jack Daniel’s, Aperol, Simba, ZigZag, Mission Bay, Sula, Camikara Rum, Sepoy & Co., Vedica, and District.

Sera Kalo
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If not for the adventurous and expressive artistes, Jazz Weekender should be on your go-to list for picnics on the grass under the banyan tree, craft cocktails by Mission Bay with a view of Qutub Minar at sunset, and of course all that jazz!

Dhanji
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In its fourth edition now, the two-day music festival, Jazz Weekender, will be held at 1AQ in Mehrauli on October 11. Tickets start at ₹2,499 on district.in/events.