Cao Zhen

    caozhen0806@126.com

    AFTER six years of development, the sixth OCT-LOFT Jazz Festival in Shenzhen hits a crescendo this year with diverse concerts and artistic creativity.

    From Oct. 8 to 23, the festival will bring together 27 world leading musicians and compelling newcomers from 17 countries for concerts, lectures and a workshop. Known for its variety of acts, the festival promotes awareness and appreciation for all forms of jazz and showcases vast musical talent from home and abroad.

    This year, big names such as Henri Texier, Sinne Eeg and Otomo Yoshihide will grace the B10 Live stage.

    French veteran jazz double bassist Texier first got his start in the jazz scene in the 1960s and remains active in Europe to this day. He is a self-taught jazz bassist, crediting Wilbur Ware as one of his main influence. He has worked with hundreds of groups and prestigious creators.

    Danish jazz vocalist and composer Eeg has received a number of highly positive reviews in the national and international press and is considered a major talent among the best female jazz vocalists on the Scandinavian scene. The clarity of her natural tone, gives her voice a distinct and memorable quality that lingers in your mind well.

    Japanese composer and multi-instrumentalist Yoshihide first came to international prominence in the 1990s as the leader of the experimental rock group Ground Zero, and has since worked in a variety of contexts, ranging from free improvisation to noise, jazz, avant-garde and contemporary classical. He is also a pioneering figure in the electroacoustic improvisation scene, and is featured on important records on labels like Erstwhile Records.

    The festival is also a sensory-driven journey into rock, experimental, punk, electronics and folk. The Min-Wu-Xu Trio consists of three pioneers of contemporary Chinese music, Min Xiaofen, Wu Wei and Xu Fengxia. Having gone through intensive studies in traditional Chinese music, they stand for experimentation with new directions in music, while all the while remaining firmly rooted in traditional Chinese culture. The trio has performed in Austria, Sweden and the Netherlands. Although they are originally from China, this will be their first gig in China.

    Originally from Burkina Faso, Kandy Guira is a young singer who draws inspiration from her African roots and her various artistic endeavors. Now in France, she has her own band and is writing her own compositions.

    Malika Tirolien from Canada jumps from Carribean vocals and rhythms from her native Guadeloupe to soul, jazz and urban Montreal’s take on hip-hop.

    Music lovers can get up close to acclaimed artists by attending free lectures and a workshop during the festival. Rare Noise Records’ Giacomo Bruzzo will give an introduction to the U.K. label and music business in Britain on Oct. 15. Japan’s RIO festival’s curator Nagai Akiko will share her 10-year experience as a festival planner Oct. 16. Italian band Mothra will discuss improvisation and electronics Oct. 22. All the lectures and workshops will be held at A3+ in OCT-LOFT.