KATHMANDU: After creating waves at Jazz-mandu 2005 with their scintillating music, the exclusive Nepali Jazz band Cazenda is all set to perform as the first south Asian band at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, also known as the International Jazz Festival, to be held at the University of Idaho from February 22 to 25.

“After listening to our Jazz at Patan CD, which features jazz standards fused with eastern musical instruments, Dr Skinner (director of the festival) was highly impressed and invited Cadenza and Friends to play at the 2006 festival,” explains Navin Chettri, the founder member of the band.

The Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival is the largest educational jazz festival and has seen 38 years of unparalleled popularity with performance from the legendary Jazz musicians Ella Fitzgerald, Gerry Mulligan, Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis and Sarah Vaughan and of course, Lionel Hampton and his New York Big Band, to name a few.

Cazdenza will be playing alongside Grammy Award winning musicians Roy Hargrove, Lou Rawls, Russell Malone and Diana Krall.

“A lot of interest was generated in Nepali jazz-fusion by Cadenza and Friends, and the CD was popular. Numerous schools in the north-western US are interested in this music and we have been invited to share our unique music through educational workshops with elementary and secondary school children,” explains Navin.

Upstairs Ideas in association with ECS will present Cadenza and Friends Live in Concert at 1905, Kantipath, on January 28. (Tickets Rs 800; 4441067-Upstairs, 4225272-1905) — HNS