Jazz is finally back in town! A very special Jazz festival is taking place in Delhi from April 29 to May 1, set at the beautiful, contemporary art-inspired location of 1 AQ in Mehrauli. boxout.fm, The Wild City, Gatecrash and Jazz In India will present the Jazz Weekender, with support of the German Embassy. Indian artists feature a diverse range of artists such as prolific jazz drummer Gino Banks with guitar virtuoso Rhythm Shaw, live R&B band T.ill APES, neo-soul singer Tribemama Marykali, 8-piece big band The Revisit Project, Hindustani-meets-electronic outfit Pakshee and more. International artists on the lineup include German dancefloor-jazz band Triorität and Dutch world music duo Boi Akih. All these bands focus on live music across jazz, soul, R&B, funk, fusion, world music and more. The event will feature cocktail bars, curated retail pop-ups, a soundsystem party and more.
April 30 marks International Jazz Day, a worldwide occasion to celebrate the history, culture and innovations in jazz music and adjacent genres. To celebrate the day and address the long hiatus of live music in the capital city, boxout.fm, Wild City, Gatecrash, Art Unites & Jazz in India, will launch a three day live music experience to celebrate local and global jazz cultures.
Taking place from April 29 to May 1 in New Delhi, JAZZ WEEKENDER will feature seasoned and boundary-pushing jazz artists that cross over into neo-soul, R&B, fusion, electronic, big band, funk and more. Jazz Weekender is thrilled to share the lineup of artists who will take the stage for the inaugural edition of the festival.
Slated to activate the contemporary-art inspired environs of 1AQ in Mehrauli, Jazz Weekender will feature food and beverage experiences, bars, curated pop-ups and a wide range of live performances by global and homegrown artists.
With the support of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Jazz Weekender will bring German progressive jazz and electronic funk band Triorität. Blending together cosmic synthesizers with atmospheric grooves and funky, percussive rhythms, the trio of Alexander Hoffmann, Gerrit Ebeling and Grégoire Pignède will bring their acclaimed “dancefloor jazz” for their debut performance in India at Jazz Weekender.
Jazz Weekender also features Dutch outfit Boi Akih, who weave modern jazz and improvised music with folk traditions from all over the world. Boi Akih consists of guitarist and composer Niels Brouwer and vocalist Monica Akihary, who sings in both English and the Austronesian dialect of Haruku.
Indian artists on the lineup include prolific jazz drummer, Gino Banks, who will play a collaborative set with virtuosic guitarist Rhythm Shaw, Kottayam born, Nigeria-bred funk and neo-soul singer Anna Katharina Valayil aka Tribemama Marykali, Goa-based psychedelic jazz trio The Jass B’stards, Smiti Malik’s jazz and R&B quintet Four + 1, Delhi-based electronic and classical fusion band Pakshee, Bangalore R&B and live hip-hop band T.ill APES, Delhi-based 8-member big band The Revisit Project and lo-fi jazz beatmaker and guitarist Raj.
boxout.fm
Born at a time when a community-run platform showcasing alternative music and its related cultures in India did not exist, boxout.fm’s 100% human curated, free-of-cost online platform has consistently put out original content made by Indian and International DJ’s, artists, podcasters and producers for five years. Supplementing it’s radio platform with its flagship live events including Boxout Wednesdays, Boxout Weekender and Boxout Showcase, boxout.fm has cemented its presence as a key stakeholder and proponent of independent Indian arts and culture.
The Wild City
Established as an online music magazine and community platform in 2011, thewildcity.com has since grown to become an events company (hosting a variety of musical showcases, events and the annual Magnetic Fields Festival), cultural PR agency (City Press launched in 2015), consultants for brands engaging with contemporary music culture in India (partners include Boiler Room, Resident Advisor, Red Bull, Jameson, Bira 91, Puma, Ray-Ban, Budweiser, British Council amongst others), and executors of regional cultural programs across South Asia. They are dedicated to spotlighting the latest in alternative culture and music from India and South Asia, Wild City’s inception filled a much-needed gap in the Indian music space.
Gatecrash
A music agency based out of Mumbai organizing high-quality concerts, promoting the live music scene and developing education programs. Through it’s primary promoter platform, Jazz In India, they curate live music for venues, festivals and events, set up tours for international bands across the country and promote the jazz scene throughout India.