Jazzmandu is all set to celebrate its 15th anniversary with a week-long music festival and national and international jazz musicians in the Capital. Also known as Kathmandu Jazz Festival, the event is slated to kick off on Oct 12. 

The festival will begin with a free concert for school children and will also host workshops and masterclasses for upcoming musicians and music enthusiasts.

Jazzmandu is recognised as among the leading music festivals in South Asia; this year, the fest is slated to feature visiting artists from Thailand, Mali, France, US, Germany, Senegal and Switzerland. 

According to the organisers, some of the artists and ensembles to look forward to are Senegalese singer Julia Sarr, who will give the crowd a taste of West African music; and Filtron M. Samuel Wootton’s ensemble Toy Story, which will present a young, cutting-edge sound from Germany. Other artists include Teerapoj Plitakul Trio from Bangkok, The Palouse Project from the United States, and the French quartet Elektrip.

Jazzmandu 2017 also features some of Nepal’s most accomplished and recognised musicians, including an Eastern Classical ensemble led by the tabla master Rabin Lal Shrestha, the fusion ensemble Kanta Dab Dab, and the Jazzmandu veterans of the Cadenza Collective.

The first Kathmandu Jazz Festival was held in 2002, on the day of Shivaratri, with four international bands and some of Nepal’s top musicians, and the Australian jazz legend Don Burrows as the headliner. 

The event will conclude on October 18.