The 7th edition of the “Kinshasa Jazz” Festival begins today, highlighting the theme “Jazz and Democracy”. This festival, initiated and promoted by the famous Congolese jazzman Paul Ngoie Leperc, takes place on Avenue du Jazz in the commune of Gombe in Kinshasa.
The choice of this theme is particularly relevant, because the year 2023 will be marked by elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Paul Ngoie Leperc explains that Jazz, with its metaphor of democracy, embodies living together and common creation. He hopes that this festival will contribute to democracy being more than a name in the country, but a lived reality.
This edition of the festival welcomes guests from Sweden, Belgium, the Republic of Congo and of course the DRC. The guest of honor is the famous Congolese singer and composer Jean Goubald Kalala, who brings his talent and fame to this major artistic event.
Since its creation in 2017, the Kinshasa Jazz Festival has set itself the mission of introducing Jazz to the Congolese public by organizing workshops and conferences between initiates around the principles of Jazz. It is a real platform for artists who practice this music, thus offering a platform to promote this art, which is often little-known in the region.
This new edition of the festival therefore promises to delight Jazz lovers and contribute to the dissemination of this complex and captivating music in the Congolese capital. Hopefully it will also pave the way for more democracy and living together in a country where these values are essential for a better future.