The Java Jazz Festival is back for its 12th year, kicking off on March 4th. This year’s lineup has just been announced, and needless to say, we’re pretty excited! To help you get ready to groove, we’ve put together this list of 5 awesome acts you have to check out at this year’s festival.
Hiatus Kaiyote (AUSTRALIA)
Melbourne nu-soul at its finest, there’s a lot of buzz around this 4-piece at the moment due to their recent album “Choose Your Weapon”, which earned the group a Grammy nomination and a performance on Jimmy Kimmel. Fronted by the eccentric frontwoman Nai Palm, Hiatus Kaiyote blend complex Jazz rhythms together with space-age sounding synths and warm soulful vocals.
Seun Kuti & The Egypt 80 (NIGERIA)
The son of influential Nigerian afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, Seun Kuti carvedd out his own sound while staying true to his afrobeat heritage on his 2014 album “A long way to the beginning” in which he worked with influential jazz artist Robert Glasper. Seun began performing with his father’s legendary band, The Egypt 80, at the age of 14 after his father passed away in 1997. The Egypt 80 consists of mostly musicians who played with Fela Kuti.
Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club (CUBA)
Definitely one of the big acts headlining this year’s show, Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club is quite the seminal act. The band, named after the actual social club in Havana, Cuba, has been around since the late 90’s. Made up of 13 musicians mostly from Cuba, Buena Vista Social Club was featured in a documentary that was nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary in 2000.
BADBADNOTGOOD (CANADA)
Having collaborated with acts like Ghostface Killah, Frank Ocean and Tyler the Creator, BADBADNOTGOOD is definitely one of the premiere acts on this year’s lineup. Hailing from Toronto, they have become a significant force in the nu-jazz world, playing festivals like Coachella and Glastonbury.
Teza Sumendra (INDONESIA)
Teza Sumendra is 27-year old Indonesian R&B singer. He’s performed at the Tangsel Jazz Festival as well as on morning television. Teza Sumendra is one of several hot Indonesian acts gracing the Java Jazz Festival stage this year and we think he’s definitely someone you should check out if you’re not already familiar with him.
The 2016 Java Jazz Festival kicks off March 4. Tickets are available for the through the official website. They’re offering a very special day pass option for students starting at 300,000 RP.
Java Jazz Festival
March 4-6, 2016
Jakarta International Expo (JIEXPO)
Jalan Kawasan PRJ Kemayoran, Kemayoran
