Jazzrausch Bigband won the hearts at jazz festival
American multiple Grammy award winner Marcus Miller was this year’s headliner at Safaricom Jazz Festival held Sunday, but one band from Germany stole everyone’s heart.
Jazzrausch Bigband, who walked on stage dressed in black with a signature black mark on their faces, had everyone on their feet during their performance that lasted more than 20 minutes.
They were forced to add a few songs as the crowd kept asking for more.
The band led by Roman Sladek gave the audience a different taste of jazz that combined more than 10 instruments.
Kenya’s very own Kato Change, who taught himself to play the guitar and has a huge following online, took to the stage and paid tribute to the late ‘Koth Biro‘ hit maker Ayub Ogada.
This year’s event had more than nine bands from across the globe who entertained jazz lovers who thronged Kasarani stadium.
Jazz lover and Safaricom chief executive Bob Collymore was present and welcomed the main act Mr Miller on stage.
Miller gave the crowd his best hits with his characteristic bass sound like ‘Just the Two of Us‘, to Luther Vandross ‘Never Too Much‘ and some songs which he has done with the likes of Chaka Khan, David Sanborn, Herbie Hancock, Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, George Benson, Elton John and Bryan Ferry which saw the crowd sing along.
What caught the eye was the massive security deployed at the event. Everyone who drove or walked in had to be triple checked.