GRAMMY-WINNERS JET IN KENYA FOR SAFARICOM JAZZ LOUNGE

Acclaimed Grammy Award winners Kirk Whalum and Norman Brown, multiple Grammy Award Nominee Gerald Albright, and fast rising jazz artiste Shelea Frazier have arrived in Kenya.
 

The four, who will perform their widely celebrated A Gospel According to Jazz, will kick off their performances at the Carnivore Grounds in Nairobi on 3^rd December before taking the show to Mombasa’s Haller Park on 5^th December, in what will be the first performance of its kind in the coastal city since the launch of the Safaricom Jazz Lounge.

Kirk Whalum is famous for touring with the late Whitney Houston for seven years and for having had a solo part in her single “I will always love you”, the best-selling single by a female artist in music history.

He will be joined on stage by equally illustrious musician Gerald Albright, a multi-instrumentalist who has sold over one million albums in the United States of America alone.

Completing the ensemble will be Norman Brown – famous for his work with Boyz II Men and Stevie Wonder – and Shelea Frazier, a fast-rising singer, songwriter and producer who shot into the spotlight following her widely celebrated tribute to Whitney Houston.

“In February we hosted over 10,000 jazz lovers at the Safaricom International Jazz Festival held at the Ngong Racecourse, and in August had the pleasure of bringing Salif Keita to Kenya for the Safaricom Jazz Lounge, so we see there is great demand for high quality live jazz music concerts,” said Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore.

“As a build-up to the 2016 edition of the Jazz Festival in February – where three-time Grammy Award Winner Branford Marsalis (below) will perform – we are honoured to have the opportunity to have four of the best jazz musicians of our time joining us to usher in the festive season.”

Curtain-raising for the quartet will be Kenyan acts Edward Parseen (below) and the Different Faces Band, and AfroSync, who have made their names in the Kenyan jazz scene thanks to their unique sounds.

“As has been the tradition with our jazz concerts, all proceeds from the Safaricom Jazz Lounge in both Nairobi and Mombasa, and the Safaricom International Jazz Festival, will go towards supporting the Korogocho-based Ghetto Classics music programme,” added Mr. Collymore.

Ghetto Classics offers music education to over 300 underprivileged youth, and has so far benefitted from an estimated Ksh.12 million raised through Safaricom’s jazz music properties.

Tickets to the Safaricom Jazz Lounge go on sale on Friday 20^th November, and will be retailing at Ksh.1,500 for advance tickets, Ksh.2,000 at the gate and Ksh.500 for students. They will be available from select Safaricom outlets (Sarit Centre, Thika Road Mall, Galleria Mall, Junction Mall, BuruBuru, Village Market, I&M and Nakumatt Mega in Nairobi, and Nyali and Rex Shop in Mombasa).