KRIOL JAZZ FESTIVAL - ALL ABOUT KJF

THE CREOLE WORLD

The Kriol Jazz Festival is a fusion of music from different origins all on one stage. Discover a selection of the best artists from the creole world for a program based upon exchanging as much on a musical level as on a human level.

Organized by Harmonia Lda in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and Creative Industries, the Festival's main objective is to promote the Creole-inspired music from all the islands, whether in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Cabo Verde, Europe or Africa, the cradle of Creole.

OUR 14th EDITION

After launching in 2009, with following editions setting the festival as a reference, Kriol Jazz Festival - Praia is back in 2025 (on April 10th, 11th and 12th) and will once again feature a number of world-renowned names in jazz.

After giving tribute to Horace Silver, Code di Dona, Cesaria Evora, Manuel Clarinete, Morgadinho, Dany Silva, Chico Serra, Humbertona, Bulimundo & Os Tubarões, Daniel Rendall, Pedro Rodrigues, Nhonhô Hopffer Almada and Ney Fernandes, it's Totinho who will be honoured in 2025.

We salute all of the musicians and our faithful public. Our celebration is your celebration, a celebration, above all, of music.

The 14th edition of the KJF – ten stages, one passion: the music!

EACH YEAR IN APRIL

The Kriol Jazz Festival - Praia takes place on the island of Santiago, the program spreads over three days. The audience is as well local as targeting international public. April being a month of high tourist traffic, the period was chosen to attract the widest audience possible.

Based upon the international reference jazz represents, this project aims at creating a cultural meeting relying on Creolity.

The twelve first editions offered an international schedule including artists such as Salif Keita, Lenine, Esperança Spalding, Seu Jorge, Richard Bona, Ralph Thamar & Mario Canonge, Ayo, Pat Thomas, Aziz Sahmaoui, Kenny Garrett, Ismaël Lô, Monty Alexander, Jacques Morelenbaum, Chico Cesar, Jowee Omicil, Manhattan Transfer, Charnett Moffet and Stanley Jordan, Flavia Coelho, Ballake Sissoko, Céu, Vincent Segal, Sia Tolno, Maria Gadú, Leyla McCalla, Manu Dibango, Paulo Flores, Steve Coleman, Hermeto Pascoal, Tânia Maria, Cindy Blackman-Santana, Habib Koité, Ayo, Seu Jorge, Stanley Jordan, Lucky Peterson, Orchestra Baobab, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Bamba Wassoulou Groove, Aṣa, Luedji Luna, Roosevelt Collier and Stanley Clarke among others (see below for the complete list).

It's a tradition, the festival opens on a free night offering the performances of new talents. The two other nights will be as usual, opened by a Cabo Verdean artist, followed by the shows of international artists.

Moreover, the Jam sessions having become an institution of the Festival, they will be part of the program again in 2025.

BACK IN 2008

In 2008, the capeverdean producer Djô da Silva was nurturing the idea of holding a jazz festival in Cabo Verde, a jazz festival that would express a certain creole-ness while accentuating African sonorities.

Cabo Verdeans felt this desire as well: new stages, new types of music, different artists and fresh experiences.

Joint plans and paths with partners were outlined, and thus was born the first edition of the Kriol Jazz Festival.

The feedback from the public left no margin for doubts: the initiative had to be kept going. The challenge was immediately accepted and new partnerships were sought out as, little by little, stage by stage, the festival consolidated its position on the city's and, indeed, the country's cultural agenda.

The notoriety Cabo Verde has been able to garner through music increased even further, and the festival's overriding objective was achieved: its internationalization.

The Kriol Jazz Festival has made a name for itself and is now firmly on the international festival circuit. Indeed, the KJF grew to the point that it was considered one of the 25 best music festivals in the world.

Experiences were exchanged and friendships made, and, with an eye to the past and feet facing the future, motivation for the many, many more editions of the KJF is strong.

BUT WHERE IS PRAIA?

Praia is located in Santiago, the largest and most populated island of Cabo Verde, 500 km off the coast of Senegal. By the way, Praia is the capital of the archipelago, an independent country since 1975.

Historians consider that the very first Creole language was born in this former Portuguese colony. Cidade Velha, the former capital and neighboring site, has been classified as World Heritage of Humanity.

THEY WERE WITH US

They lit up our previous editions

2009 Tcheka / Meddy Gerville / Ba Cissoko / Lenine / Mário Lucio / Regis Gizavo / Jorge Reyes / Yuri Buenaventura

2010 Vasco Martins / Kim Alves / Mario Canonge / Ralph Thamar / René Lacaille / Kora Jazz Trio / Princezito / Tumi & the Volume / Jaques Morelenbaum & Cello Samba Trio/ Manhattan Transfer

2011 Remna Schwarz / Danae / Vera Cruz / Lexxus Legal / Gaita Ferro / Ensemble do Hot Clube de Portugal / Cordas do Sol / Ferro Gaita / Albertino / Jean Marie Alain / Yamandu Costa / Boubacar Traoré / Hernani Almeida / Tania Libertad / Cindy Blackman Santana / Maraca & his Latin Jazz All Star

2012 Mirri Lobo / Sia Tolno / Kola Beat / BoB / Tradison de Terra / Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole / Ballaké Sissoko et Vincent Segal / Mário Laginha / Mayra Andrade / Soft / Manu Dibango / Thurgot Théodat (with Ku4rtet) / Tavares Brothers

2013 Zé Luis / Dominique Fillon Trio / Giovanni Mirabassi / Rui Cruz / Berklee School of Music / Ceuzany / Jupiter / Carmen Souza / Ziskakan / Jerry Gonzales / Pierre Akedengue Gangbe Brass Band / Leo Gandelman / Bettye Lavette / Hugo Mendes

2014 Maya / Tcheka / Berklee Band / Cesaria Evora Orchestra / Carlos Mendes / Candida Rose / Katia Guerreiro / Habib Koite / Ismael Lo / Marly Quintet / Sara Tavares / Kenny Garret / Monty Alexander / Chico Cesar

2015 Manuel de Candinho-Quarteto Tradicional / Helder Pelada Rodrigues & Band/ Elida Almeida / Ron Savage Trio & Special Guests / Airelle Besson / Raphaele Atlan/ Dino D`Santiago & Fábia Rebordão / Jowee Omicil / Richard Bona / Lura / Reis Demuth Wiltgen Trio/ Céu / Esperanza Spalding

2016 Romeu di Lurdis / Ceuzany / Tubarões / Ron Savage Trio / Paulo Flores / Tânia Maria / Aziz Sahmaoui and University of Gnawa / El Gato Negro / Jeff Herr Corporation / Nerdistan / Nett Work feat. Charnett Moffet and Stanley Jordan / Carlos Martins Quarteto feat. Jenifer Solidade and Khaly / Téofilo Chantre / Dina Medina / Zeca Couto Quinteto

2017 Leyla McCalla / Sylvain Luc Trio / Pat Thomas / Maria Gadú / Mayra Andrade / Roberto Fonseca Quartet / Spyro Gyra / Elida Almeida / Silvano Sanches / Hélio Batalha / Grace Evora / DJ Mo Laudi / Jaixi ft Boaz / Fidjus di Codé di Dona

2018 Flavia Coelho / Ayo / Seu Jorge / Reis Demuth Wiltgen Trio / Nathalie Natiembe / Mario Lucio / Stanley Jordan feat Thunder Duo / Sara Tavares / Kriol Band (Boy G Mendes, Hernâni Almeida, Jacob Desvarieux, Jowee Omicil, Mário Canonge, Taffa Sissé, Thierry Fanfant, Yissi Garcia) / Hilario Silva / Wilson Silva / Bulimundo / Os Tubarões / Bantu

2019 Azagua / Trakinuz / Bulimundo / Rincon Sapiencia / Cuca Roseta / Mário Lucio & Simenteria / Tito Paris / Zeca Pagodinho / Anabela Aya / Karyna Gomes / Roberta Campos / Mirri Lobo / Otis / El Comité / Lucky Peterson / Rougaiverde / Stanley Clarke / Tiloun / Mayra Andrade

2023 Orchestra Baobab / Pamela Badjogo / Tcheka / Roosevelt Collier / Luedji Luna / Bamba Wassoulou Groove / Dee Dee Bridgewater / Lucibela / Aṣa / Doctor Prats

2024 Jorge Pardo & Armando Orbón / Soren Araujo Trio / Salif Keita / Steve Coleman & Five Elements / Pret & Bronk fr Jenifer Solidade / Hermeto Pascoal / Kriolatino / Santrofi / Afro Cuban Jazz Project / Tibau Tavares e Munganga Band