The Nation Newspaper

Tag: LIJF

  • LIJF to honour Hugh Masekela

    Organisers of the Lagos International Jazz Festival (LIJF) have announced that this year’s celebration will be held in memory of the late South African Jazz legend, Hugh Masekela who recently passed on.

    Scheduled to hold on Monday, April 30 which is globally recognized as International Jazz Day, the one day multistage event takes place at the arts and culture hotspot, Freedom Park in the heart of Lagos.

    Speaking on this year’s ceremony, LIJF founder and festival director, Ayoola Sadare said; “it’s with great pleasure that on our 10th anniversary we are able to honor the memory of the late legendary international icon, cultural statesman & father of South African Jazz Hugh Maleeka on the LIJF platform though post mortem. Bra Hugh was an inspiration to the Jazz community locally and globally, though he never performed on the LIJF stage we believe we owe him a duty to be celebrated for his long and positively impactful life through his music. Hugh Masekela’s spirit lives on through his music which will be with us for a long time.”

    The maiden edition of the Lagos International Jazz Festival (LIJF) took place in 2008 at Studio 868 in Victoria Island. It was headlined by South Africa’s Award winning Freshly Ground & UK’s Courtney Pine. The Annual Lagos International Jazz Festival organized by Inspiro productions is part of the Lagos Tourism Arts & Culture Calendar and is supported by the Lagos State Government & Lagos Tourism amongst others.

     

  • OBESERE, MALAIKA THRILL AT LIJF SPECIAL EDITION

    TWO of Nigeria’s Fuji music heavyweights, Obesere and Malaika were part of the Lagos International Jazz festival (LIJF) which paraded over 50 musicians on stage.

    Put together by Inspiro Productions, the three day event was part of celebrations to mark the 50thanniversary of Lagos at the festival themed 505050JAZZ Lagos@50 special edition.

    The event was held to mark the end of The April Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) which happened to be on April 30 which is when International Jazz Day is celebrated worldwide.

    Prior to the main festival, three Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) session events and three empowerment workshops were conducted at various venues in the city including the SPAN academy of Jazz & contemporary music, The Posh Renaissance Hotel GRA Ikeja, Southpaw Lounge Gbagada, and Industry Nite at The Spice Route Victoria Island, Lagos.

    This year, the festival committed to raise funds to support two charities namely, The Down Syndrome Nigeria Foundation and Sesor Foundation for Internally Displaced Persons.

    The main festival was held at the Freedom Park, Lagos Island and kicked off on Friday, April 28 with exciting performances from Jazz & Jazz related artistes like master percussionist Samson Iroko, fellow of London School of music saxophonist Olumide Shobowale, soft rock and alternative music guitarist Nathmac, Piano Duke, master bassists duo D-Bass & Joshua Fashina (Agbar Joshu), Ajaga Master Ade Piper, Clintonic the violinist, Celeste, Wole Jesutomi and trumpeter Jesse Ibidun.

    The grand finale lived up to its billing and wore well into the early hours of the morning with an array of acts which included the Organic Jazz Band, Bass Master Bright Gain featuring Jojo Body Beats, Afrocentric musician Elfreda, dynamic Afrobeat/Highlife Multi–Instrumentalist Seun Olota, KenBaze, Damilare Sax, Afro-Jazz/Highlife Guitarist Adeh and the delectable Moyeen.

    The audience was in ecstasy when the paramount King of Fuji Music Obesere mounted the stage about 11pm, thrilling the crowd for over an hour.

    Also, Fuji superstar Malaika and his orchestra of native percussions and other musicians got onstage to close the festival.

  • LIJF to celebrate Lagos at 50

    LIJF to celebrate Lagos at 50

    Ahead of the Golden Jubilee anniversary of Lagos State, which comes up May 27, Inspiro Productions, a creative industry promotions outfit and organizers of the Lagos International Jazz Festival (LIJF) have promised a wonderful outing this year.
    Themed 50:50:50 Jazz,  organisers of this year’s festival have promised that it will boast of 50 Lagos Jazz and Jazz related musicians performing 50 Lagos songs for Lagos@50.
    Inspiro CEO and LIJF founder, Ayoola Sadare, stated; “we are excited at the progress Lagos State has made in the last 50 years. Lagos is Nigeria’s center of excellence, the melting pot of Nigeria’s various ethnic groups, Africa’s no 1 entertainment capital, as well as the fifth largest economy in Africa among other achievements. As a first among equals in many respects the state has every reason to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its creation.”
    Furthermore, he said, the excellent strides of the current Governor Akinwunmi Ambode administration with his Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment and Sporting Excellence (T.H.E.S.E.) vision is commendable and worthy of support and celebration.
    According to Sadare, LIJF’s 50:50:50 Jazz seeks to showcase the best of Lagos in music while further establishing the mega-city as a globally recognized Jazz Tourism destination and eventually make it the No 1 Jazz Festival in Africa.
    This year’s festival, he added, incorporates the Month Long April Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) which climaxes on the April 30 International Jazz Day Celebration.
    “LIJF has also adopted to support two charities namely the Down Syndrome Foundation Nigeria and Sesor Foundation for Internally displaced people (IDPS). The 50:50:50 Jazz Festival will be held from April 28-30 while JAM venues and performing acts to be announced later,” Sadare stated.

  • LIJF returns with honours for Benson Idonije

    LIJF returns with honours for Benson Idonije

    ORGANISERS of the 2016 edition of the annual Lagos International Jazz Festival (LIJF), a brainchild of Inspiro Productions, have reeled out plans for this year’s event.

    Tagged Jazz in the Megacity, the festival which holds between April 29 and May 1 and coincides with the end of the April Jazz Appreciation Month and the April 30th UN recognised International Jazz Day.

    According to Ayoola Sadare, CEO of Inspiro Productions, this year’s festival will honour veteran broadcaster, music writer and legendary Jazz critic, Benson Idonije aka Benjay who turns 80 this year and is also a prelude to Celebrate Lagos@50 in 2017.

    Curated by two-time Grammy award winner, Lekan Babalola, this year’s event places strong emphasis on music education and showcases the Next Rated in Nigerian Jazz and Jazz related music, Sadare said.

    “Students bands from several of the city’s leading music schools will be featured on the 1 venue 4 stage grand finale. These schools include the Span Academy of Jazz And Contemporary Music, 10 Strings Music Institute, The Peter King School of Music and others,” he said.

    Lagos International Jazz Festival started in 2008 and after a brief hiatus, it is now in its 4th edition.

    “The event seeks not only to position Lagos State as a global Jazz tourism destination but also showcase the best of the city’s Jazz and Jazz related music practitioners on an international platform. The 2015 edition of the festival was dedicated to honoured the founder of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival tagged: ‘Africa’s Grandest Gathering’ Rashid Lombard,” Sadare added.

    The venue and complete line up for the event and will be released at a later date, he further stated.