Music to groove to, rock to and knock your socks off arrives in the Sixth Jazz Shanghai music festival from October 16 to 18. It features 40 groups playing jazz, hip-hop, rock, electronic, house, grass, folk, flamenco fusion and vibes galore.
The show opens with Grammy-winning American jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater at Yunfeng Theater on Beijing Road W. and then moves outdoors to Century Park in Pudong.
Performers from China and 12 other countries include acid jazz-rap group Us3, the 2008 Sony Music Award winner Freshly Ground from South Africa, Danish "jazz queen" Sinne Eeg, the Professor Band, Isradixie Band from Israel, Global Music Foundation from the UK, horn soloist Verneri Pohjola from Finland, Canadian saxophonist Yannick Rieu, Spanish flamenco band Abraham Carmona and Chinese singers Cui Jian, the "godfather of Chinese rock," Zheng Jun, Zhang Chu and Chang Xuan.
"The festival offers good choices in jazz and folk, as well as rock and electronic music," says Ren Yuqing, organizer of the event.
After Bridgewater's opening concert, the jazz festival becomes a music carnival at Century Park with a jazz stage, rock stage and an electro-grass stage. There will be plenty of spinning and dancing.
"We hope to convey the idea of 'jazz world, classic rock, music holiday'," says Ren.
At the jazz stage, the hip-hop jazz crew Us3 will make its China debut. Founded in London in 1991, the band is also considered the acme of jazz rap and British acid jazz.
