HYDERABAD: From its flowing notes to varied styles, a single taste of jazz is all it takes to make one fall in love with the genre. It is exactly how the jazz maestro, Louis Armstrong said, “To jazz, or not to jazz, there is no question!”. In the spirit of this love for jazz, the Hyderabad International Jazz Festival 2024 in association with US Consulate General Hyderabad and Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad returned to the city for its sixth edition recently.
HIJF 2024 featured a unique lineup of jazz performers. The artistes included Malstrom, Native Jazz Quartet, Cacha Mundinho and George Hull Collective. This celebration of jazz was held at the open-air theatre of the city’s renowned school, Hyderabad Public School.
A special event requires special preparations. Alexander McLaren, public affairs officer, US Consulate General Hyderabad, spoke to CE about what went behind the scenes for HIJF 2024.
Beginning the preparations several months before the event, McLaren stated that planning an international musical event like this took a lot of precision. He shared that the selection of HPS as a venue was also special for this edition. The school’s long-time music teacher, the late Dennis Powell was instrumental in starting HIJF, thus marking this event as a continuation of his legacy.
Amita Desai, the Executive Director at Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad shared with CE that HIJF 2024 was special as the festival came about when Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad completed its 20 years this year. Desai elaborated that the team looked for artistes that connected with Hyderabad and promised quality, substance and the essence of jazz. She stated that this fest offered a fabulous music experience with a diverse lineup and unique venue for this edition.
HIJF 2024 took place at the picturesque venue of open-air theatre at Hyderabad Public School. The wintery evening and the cosy set-up of the event created a perfect ambience for the jazz performance lined up for the night.
Opening the show, Hyderabad’s own jazz act, the George Hull Collective gave a thrilling performance and a perfect start to the musical fest. George Hull, the city’s beloved saxophonist, brought a unique combination of fresh and young artistes together on the stage.
He spoke to CE and expressed his passion for creating a jazz culture in Hyderabad. His inspiration to pursue jazz comes from the freedom and colour jazz offers to the artistes. His performance gave a glimpse of these feelings to the audience. The combination of fine jazz tunes by the team and vocals by Carnatic singer Gopika Jairam added a unique element to their act at HIJF 2024.
Malstrom, a jazz band from Germany, delivered the flavours of jazz and rock music’s energy together at the event.
Their performance was power-packed, with all three members playing instruments with ease and passion. Florian Walter, the saxophonist of the group shared with CE that Malstrom’s high-spirited music comes with the motive of transporting the same energy to the audience. The intermingling of jazz and progressive rock, he said, gave an edge to the group and helped bring their music uniquely to the listeners. The audience cheered and reciprocated the energy with which Malstrom performed at the event.
Native Jazz Quartet, the American jazz band, brought a distinctive look of jazz to the event. Their mixing of Indigenous cultures with jazz music bloomed a special musical experience for the audience. Speaking to CE, the group expressed how this combination gives them a chance to bring their cultures and languages to the world meaningfully in a musical way.
Their interactions and synergy showcased a special musical friendship. Many from the audience came forward and danced to the tunes of their music. The team shared that through their music, they wish to bring diverse people across the globe together to celebrate music.
The group Cacha Mundinho brought rare musical routes alive at HIJF 2024. They made a mark at the event with their ‘India Encounters’ production. Members Joana Almeida and Sjahin, collaborated with Indian artistes Amith Nadig and Aman Mahajan for this performance. They wove tunes of Bansuri with Portuguese traditions.
Sjahin During shared with CE the beautiful inspirations for their songs which bring the near-forgotten musical routes and stories. Their music, he stated, draws from varied regions of the world like Spain, Angola, Mozambique, Iran, India and more.
He stated that they were like musical storytellers, inspiring people to bring their own stories and celebrate them. The audience was mesmerised by the musical charms of the group as their traditional tunes blended with jazz perfectly.
The Hyderabad International Jazz Festival 2024 proved to be a memorable night for the music lovers of Hyderabad, making them experience jazz in different avatars. The musical event made Hyderabad turn jazzy for the night and promised a fun-filled experience for all.