Published: 03 Apr 2024
Scotland joins the world’s largest international jazz gathering taking place from 11 to 13 April in Bremen, as Creative Scotland support showcasing artists and bursary delegates to reach new markets and secure future opportunities.
Matt Carmichael photo by Camille Lemoine, Mama Terra photo by Ross Walker and art design by Gordon Beveridge.
Spiritual jazz group, Mama Terra, and folk-jazz fusion saxophonist, Matt Carmichael, will both be performing at the jazzahead! showcase, supported by Creative Scotland through PRS Foundation’s International Showcase Fund.
Speaking on the importance of showcasing opportunities like jazzahead!, Marco Cafolla of Mama Terra said: “What I feel I’ve gained from attending jazzahead! and other showcasing events is presence and a community – people knowing who you are. It’s raising the profile of myself and the Scottish music scene. This is global stage, so being able to showcase at jazzahead! is another great spotlight, a targeted audience who will hear a lot of great Scottish music.”
Matt Carmichael added: “These showcases are really important for artists, especially in localised scenes, to bring them to an international forefront because there’s so many amazing musicians just in Glasgow, for example. If people in other countries heard them, they could go on to do really amazing things. It’s good to make real connections and gain a more genuine awareness of the people who are making things happen.”
As well as supporting artists to showcase, Creative Scotland is working with Glasgow Jazz Festival to bring a delegation of musicians with bursaries to attend the 2024 edition of the industry event.
Attending this year are saxophonists Brian Molley and Helena Kay, singer kitti, Joe Nichols of Nimbus Sextet and Marco Cafolla of Mama Terra.
Top row left to right: kitti by Tsvetelin “Seth” Monchev, Brian Molley by Douglas Robertson. Bottom row left to right: Helena Kay by Drake YolanDa Award and Mariola Zoladz, Marco Cafolla by Garry Ferrier, Joe Nichols by G3 Media.
Commenting on the Scottish jazz scene, Helena Kay said: “Scotland for me is the place to be. There are so many great musicians here that I’ve known for a long time and there’s lots of really exciting music coming out of Scotland at the moment.
“I’d love to see more under-represented genders in jazz, more queerness and more openness – more value placed on music in this country in general.”
At the event, Creative Scotland will be hosting a panel discussion on the topic of Traditional Threads In A Jazz Tapestry: How the indigenous music in any given country brings a distinctive style to its jazz scene. This will explore how unique musical heritage can embellish our jazz soundscapes, reflecting this year’s focus on Africa through jazzahead!’s expanded engagement with more countries.
The panel will be chaired by Creative Scotland’s Head of Music, Alan Morrison, who will be joined by Matt Carmichael, Christine Kamau from Kenya and Amro Salah from Cairo Jazz Festival.
Alan said: “Jazz is a global genre with standards, songbooks and similar strains that can be recognised wherever you are. Sometimes, however, the traditional music of any country will influence its jazz scene and create something truly distinctive that draws more deeply from individual cultural identity. Jazzahead! is the perfect place to explore this topic. This global platform brings together artists and industry representatives from all over the world. It’s where new ideas can be developed in person and emerging styles put directly in the spotlight, crafting the future of an always exciting, ever evolving artform.”
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports culture and creativity across all parts of Scotland, distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on X, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot
Elizabeth Lewis, Media Relations and PR Coordinator
E: Elizabeth.Lewis@creativescotland.com
M: +44 (0)7385 116 861
