Popular brass-led ensemble, Kolonel Djafaar, unveiled its second album, ‘Getaway’, their first for Batov Records, seamlessly blending Afrobeat, Ethio jazz, and psych rock, whilst showcasing the band's evolution over the past couple of years.

Steve was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa in 1960 and completed a B Mus degree in performance at the University of Natal in 1981, majoring in saxophone and flute. As of October 1st 2023 Steve has just finished producing his 10th solo project called "Enhlizweni - song stories from my heartland". This project is the second release from newly formed label AricArise, a joint collaboration between Ropeadope and City Of Gold Arts.

Amorosa, a multicultural musical band based in Brussels, is driven by the voice of Stéphanie Scultore who sings about love in French and Portuguese, drawing us into her poetry between the warmth of Brazilian rhythms and the elegance of jazz harmonies. Amorosa's music is generous. Sometimes voluble, sometimes calm. At once intimate and universal, it draws its uniqueness and its modernity from the way it mixes genres, textures and registers while drawing on popular traditions. Petit Soleil is an album full of love and humor

The guitarist and composer, Trond Kallevåg, sets sail and explores the stories and mystique of American music and culture. With a cinematic quality reminiscent of Ry Cooder and Bill Frisell, that could serve as the soundtrack of a Cohen Brothers movie, it draws inspiration from the hundreds of thousands of Norwegians who embarked on transformative journeys across the vast ocean.

The joint album presents eight tracks written by Yinon Muallem and Saman Alia. The diverse musical repertoire draws its inspiration from the Maquam music of the Middle East and uses elements of jazz. They are joined by guest musicians from Sweden and Israel, who contribute their very own influences to a fascinating overall sound. For their joint album "2gether", the duo traveled through Israel and Turkey, where the music was created and the two formed a connection that would go far beyond the music on the album.

With YOLO, his fourth opus, Kevin Reveyrand joins the leading group of unclassifiable musicians, in which we could, pell-mell, coexist Bernard Lubat, Michel Portal, Mino Cinelu and André Minvielle. He invents an imaginary folklore where a waltz that Gus Viseur would not have denied, the landscapes of Minas Gerais by Milton Nascimento, the flavor of the choruses of Pixinguinha and the multiple perfumes of a Europe flooded with sun coexist. A world album which will speak to the hearts of the curious and the adventurous, which will carry far those who are ready to travel, whatever the destination… This new album through the choice of instrumentation and the quality of the musicians who surround Kevin Reveyrand reveals a clear identity full of promise, that of a jazz with Mediterranean impulses full of sun and optimism, so precious today.

“When things are simple, when music does not have to be discussed, when it emerges spontaneously as if to enhance an already existing painting.”

Nesrine is a very versatile singer and cellist. In keeping with the current zeitgeist, she combines influences from pop, rock, minimalism, and North African music. Originally trained as a classical cellist, she played in Daniel Barenboim's East Western Divan Orchestra and in the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana conducted by Lorin Maazel. However, started making increasingly frequent trips to other musical worlds. Nesrine can be described as a cultural allegory between East and West. She sings poetic lyrics in Arabic, English, and French. In 2018 her album Ahlam was released, which was received very enthusiastically by the international media. She has toured all over Europe and played in venues such as the Berliner Philharmonie, and made her debut at the Cello Biennale during the very first edition of CELLOFEST.

Founded in the vibrant musical haven of Brussels in 2015, Azmari have been crafting a truly unique tapestry of musical exploration. Melding intricate jazz textures with intoxicating oriental influences, mesmerizing ethio grooves, enigmatic dark funk, and the pulsating beats of dub music, Azmari defies conventional labels to weave a narrative of sonic innovation and artistic liberation. Influences range from an eclectic array of artists, including Okay Temiz, Heliocentrics, Whitefield Brothers, Surprise chef, Antibalas and Sons of Kemet.

Recorded live at his 2019 Sydney Opera House showcase, this album takes you on a rollicking ride through Joseph’s milestone Concerto for Oud & Orchestra. Listeners are also treated to another nine of his most popular pieces that straddle the worlds of classical, jazz and world music. Upon release in June 2020, Live at the Sydney Opera House ran to the #1 position on the ARIA Classical charts, becoming the first release by an Australian artist to reach the top spot since 2019. Alongside his brother James Tawadros on Egyptian percussion, with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra conducted by maestro Benjamin Northey, Joseph creates sounds and moods like you have never heard before.

The internationally acclaimed Berlin-based Ethno-jazz band LELÉKA, dedicated to reviving ancient Ukrainian folk songs since its inception in 2016, presents its new album Rizdvo at the end of November. Together with the famous Ukrainian flutist Maksym Berezhniuk, virtuoso and collector of traditional woodwind instruments, the ensemble creates an extraordinary hom-mage to the incredibly rich tradition of Ukrainian Christmas music, breathing new life into it with contemporary arrangements, interpretations and improvisations.

This ambitious project initiated with a reflection on exile and refugees and resulted in an original musical creation bringing together 12 artists - Arat Kilo, Mamani Keita, Ruşan Filiztek, Aida Nosrat, etc. - to create a repertoire of 14 songs, with influences from ethio-jazz, Afghan, Malian and Persian music. A clever mix of cultures, languages, and musicalities where emotion is the anchor.

Composed by Phil Scarff and performed by world-jazz ensemble Natraj, RAGAMALA PAINTINGS ALIVE! shines a contemporary light on historic artwork from India. The members of Natraj individually and collectively bring a wealth of experience exploring the intersection of jazz and global musical traditions. Their stunning performance showcased in this release is wide ranging, deep, and accessible, while firmly rooted in the rich tapestry of Indian classical music.

“Júlio Resende has the profound ability to reinvent Portugal’s trademark deep, emotional music through the piano,” says the respected world music magazine Songlines of the Portuguese pianist/composer. Resende’s concept of Fado Jazz is a perfect example of how jazz has become a global language for free musical expression – a concept which has been fundamental to ACT ever since its foundation over 30 years ago.

Double bassist and guitarist Edouard Pennes - accompanist to Tchavolo Schmitt, among others, and creator of the Paris Jazz Sessions - is offering an original, never-before-seen creation: Génération Django.