By JAPHET ALAKAM & IYABO AINA

The recently held NAIJAZZ FESTIVAL 2013 fielded a fabulous feast of the best Nigerian Jazz and Jazz related musicians home and abroad who for two days serenaded many to various styles in the genre. There was jazz, highlife, agidigbo, afrobeat and lots more all mixed with a hint of original Nigerian flavor. The event which happened on the heels of the highly successful Bayelsa International Jazz festival held in Yenagoa organized by the Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency and powered by Inspiro productions/NAIJAZZ music brought out the best of the artistes.

At the Bayelsa festival, many of the acts performed collectively as the NAIJAZZ Allstars band but the NAIJAZZ festival held at Lagos’ cultural hotspot Freedom Park was the perfect opportunity each musician and their band had to perform unfettered to their satisfaction and this they certainly did.

The festival planned to be an annual year end event that climaxes all NAIJAZZ activities during the year attracted a diverse audience who come from near and far to partake of the musical feast by an all Nigerian group of musicians who play the genre in various forms.

The first day of the NAIJAZZ festival tied in perfectly with the Lagos Tribute to Mandela event hosted by Professor Wole Soyinka. The segment had Greece based guitarist Adedeji Adetayo who thrilled a crowd that included Governors, members of the diplomatic community and other dignitaries. He performed right before Afrobeat King Femi Kuti who incidentally was also a headliner at the Bayelsa International Jazz festival and has just been nominated for the 4th time for a Grammy award.

Other artistes on parade at the first day of the festival included trumpeter/percussionist Victor Ademofe, fast rising guitarist Adeh and the gentle saxophonist Dotun Bankole.
The second day of the NAIJAZZ festival packed more punch sound and performance wise as over 10 bands performed.

Some of these bands included UK based saxophonist-Ayo Odia, Master percussionist-Samson Iroko, US based lead guitarist-Agboola Shadare, SA based tungba Jazz exponent -Ayodel, Bassist – Tosin Alao, SA Based drummer and producer – Daniel Isele (DI), Award winning producer and pianist Wole Oni of the former Spectrum 4 Jazz ensemble fame, Master bassist and director of the SPAN academy of Jazz and contemporary music-Bright Gain who guested veteran flautist-Tee Mac Omatshola, Highlife Crooner – Daniel Bankole, two time Grammy award co-winner Lekan Babalola and the Eko Brass band and the Yoruba boys band – Imole Afrika amongst others.

The NAIJAZZ festival was produced by  event and entertainment production company Inspiro Productions and is part of THE NIGERIAN JAZZ PROJECT whose objective is the redefination and restoration of Nigerian music through the identification, development, production and promotion of exportable distinct and indigenous Nigerian Jazz and Jazz related music in a contemporary format. NAIJAZZ also conducts workshops, seminars, capacity building programmes and more as part of their activities.