HYDERABAD TURNS JAZZY

ROM its flowing notes to varied styles, a single taste of jazz is all it takes to make one fall in love with the genre. It is exactly how the jazz maestro, Louis Armstrong said, "To jazz, or not to jazz, there is no question!".

- EESHNA DASHOTTAR

In the spirit of this love for jazz, the Hyderabad International Jazz Festival 2024 in association with US Consulate General Hyderabad and Goethe Zentrum Hyderabad returned to the city for its sixth edition recently.

HIJF 2024 featured a unique lineup of jazz performers. The artistes included Malstrom, Native Jazz Quartet, Cacha Mundinho and George Hull Collective. This celebration of jazz was held at the open-air theatre of the city's renowned school, Hyderabad Public School.

A special event requires special preparations. Alexander McLaren, public affairs officer, US Consulate General Hyderabad, spoke to CE about what went behind the scenes for HIJF 2024. Beginning the preparations several months before the event, McLaren stated that planning an international musical event like this took a lot of precision.

He shared that the selection of HPS as a venue was also special for this edition. The school's long-time music teacher, the late Dennis Powell was instrumental in starting HIJF, thus marking this event as a continuation of his legacy.

Amita Desai, the Executive Director at Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad shared with CE that HIJF 2024 was special as the festival came about when Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad completed its 20 years this year. Desai elaborated that the team looked for artistes that connected with Hyderabad and promised quality, substance and the essence of jazz.