Kathmandu:

Soon after Jazz for the Next Generation, Jazz-mandu 2005 switched on with the melodic note at the Yala Maya Kendra on November 4. Two international bands were desperate to bowl over the audience with their incredible gigs. Of course, the festival had already been marked by an auspicious beginning, but had yet to be testified with the touchstone of these consummate performers.

And could we expect anything less than spectacular, with these internationally acclaimed bands to lead the festival? There were two places that witnessed a glorious evening — the concerts at 1905, Kantipath and Lasoon, Jawlakhel — which began at about the same time.

While it was the Norwegian band Solid! that took over the stage at 1905, Groove Suppa turned out another sensation at Lasoon.

In fact, the treat offered at these two different places was two different courses served on the platter. While the Norwegian band Solid! never betrayed the audiences of its entire original repertoire of hard swinging jazz and more open and subtle soundscapes, Daniel Formo’s lascivious licks on his guitar positively enraptured the audiences. Håkon Mjåset Johansen was yet another prodigy on drums.

The spectacle at Lasoon was however, a different delight altogether with the band from Mumbai stirring up the crowd in its amchi Mumbai spirit.

Groovesuppa performed its mixture of rock, jazz, funk, and blues blending it with the inspiration they claim to have sourced from the city they live in, Mumbai, and mixing it all up into one big groovesuppa. We indeed can’t wait more to discover what’s more in store!

Jazz on November 7

Red Hot Latin Jazz

Time:  7:30pm onwards

Venue:  Hotel Yak & Yeti

Ticket: Rs 1,299 (includes dinner and a complimentary drink)

Red Hot Latin Jazz is an evening filled with the sounds of Afro-Caribbean and South American rhythms. Some of the best musicians of Jazzmandu will perform together crafting high-energy sounds of Latin Jazz: Salsa, Merengue and Cha-cha that will keep you moving and grooving on the dance floor.