Saxophonists light up the stage at the Bob Collymore International Jazz Festival, East Africa’s largest jazz event, which showcases global talent while nurturing Kenya’s growing jazz scene.
Judah Onesimusic lifts his trumpet to his lips, sending a crisp, golden note into the air.
The day before theBob Collymore International Jazz Festival (BCIJF), the Nairobi-based bandleader of Judah and The Tribe is deep in soundcheck, fine-tuning his set for one of the biggest performances of his career. "In many ways, it's a dream come true," he tells OkayAfrica. "It was just a hope that I'd be on this stage one day."As it enters its third year, BCIJF has cemented itself as a cornerstone of Nairobi's cultural calendar. Named after the late Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore – whose passion for jazz helped shape Kenya's growing appreciation for the genre — the festival brings together local and international talent while nurturing emerging artists and expanding jazz appreciation in Kenya. "Jazz is Bob, and Bob is jazz," Wambui Collymore, his widow and the festival's director, tells OkayAfrica. "My husband deeply loved jazz music."
Robert "Bob" Collymore, CEO, Safaricom speaks at The 2017 Concordia Annual Summit at Grand Hyatt New York on September 19, 2017 in New York City.
Photo by Riccardo Savi/Getty Images for Concordia Summit.
His vision led to the now-defunctSafaricom International Jazz Festival, which launched in 2014. The festival brought world-class jazz to Kenyan audiences, with performances from Grammy Award winners Norman Brown and Kirk Whalum. After his passing in 2019, the BCIJF was created to advance his vision, and ensure that jazz remains an integral part of Kenya's cultural landscape.
"His goal was to nurture a culture of jazz appreciation. The Jazz Festival became a celebration of that passion—a reflection of his belief that music, even in its simplest form, can make a profound difference," says Collymore.
Since its inception in 2023, the BCIJF has showcased the diversity of Kenyan jazz, amplifying local talent while embracing African excellence. "We wanted to bring diversity. We reached out to international artists from around the world, bringing fresh perspectives to the Kenyan jazz scene," explains Kavutha Mwanzia-Asiyo, the festival's music director and a jazz performer herself.
Saxophonists light up the stage at the Bob Collymore International Jazz Festival, East Africa's largest jazz event, which showcases global talent while nurturing Kenya's growing jazz scene.
BC International Jazz Festival.
This year's lineup exemplifies that growth. The festival features Judah and the Tribe alongside Kenya's Kaima Mwiti Quintet, led by saxophonist Kaima Mwiti. Also taking the stage is the Ghetto Classics Youth Orchestra, composed of musicians from underprivileged backgrounds in Kenya. Part of the festival's proceeds will facilitate their music education.
International jazz stars such as Mozambique's Moreira Chonguiça, Ethiopia's Bėga Quartet, and Germany's Stephanie Lottermoser share the spotlight with these Kenyan acts. "We want to expose our musicians and audiences to various jazz styles. We want them to see what's out there and to bring new sounds into our scene," says Collymore.
Jazz in Nairobi has seen a revival over the past decade, but its roots in Kenya run deep. The genre thrived in the ‘60s and ‘70s, with one of its most memorable moments being Louis Armstrong's 1960 African tour, during whichhe performed multiple times to standing ovations in Nairobi and Nakuru.
For years, jazz in Kenya was seen as music for the elite, contradicting its improvisational and inclusive nature. "I think before the Safaricom International Jazz Festival, jazz was quite a niche genre — and to some extent, it still is. But it has gained more eyeballs and ears in the past 10 or 11 years," says Onesimusic.
A lively crowd at the Bob Collymore International Jazz Festival enjoys a night of world-class jazz.
Photo courtesy of BC International Jazz Festival.
Nairobi has developed a dedicated jazz community, with venues like Geco Café and Carnivore hosting live jazz performances. Artists and bands such as Shamsi, Nairobi Horns and MacKinlay Mutsembi — who completed a 24-hour trumpet-playing marathon — continue to push boundaries.The Afrolect Jazz Festival is another favorite.
"It's so vibrant right now! There are live performances almost every night," says Elizabeth Njoroge, founder of Ghetto Classics. "Nairobi has become a city where you can find quality jazz if you know where to look."
However, according to Mwanzia-Asiyo, more must be done to create opportunities and platforms for jazz musicians."There's no shortage of incredible musicians, but jazz is best experienced live. We need more performance spaces and more opportunities for artists to experiment and engage audiences," she tells OkayAfrica.
The festival is working to bridge that gap, keeping ticket prices affordable, holding annual open auditions, and giving unknown artists a platform. This next generation is actively nurtured by Ghetto Classics, a longtime beneficiary of the Safaricom International Jazz Festival under the late Collymore, which BCIJF now supports. Now in its 17th year,Ghetto Classics has trained over 2000 students, some of whom have become music teachers and professional musicians.
"We've seen young musicians grow from students to performers and even educators. Music gives them discipline, confidence, and a future they might have never imagined," Njoroge of Ghetto Classics tells OkayAfrica. For Mwanzia-Asiyo, it's proof of what the festival can achieve, but she hopes it will go even further. "Every major city has a jazz festival. Why not Nairobi? And eventually, we want to see our musicians performing internationally as well," she says.
Looking ahead, Collymore hopes to bring in more African jazz artists from South Africa, Nigeria and Ethiopia, fostering greater musical exchange. "We want to create a festival recognized across the continent. A place where jazz musicians from all over Africa can come and share their sounds," she says.
