jazz

Berlin-based sound artist and singer Dumama has a special relationship to XJAZZ!. Following the event in May, Dumama now shares a live video of their performances. Working with the body and voice as modes of tapping into ancestral vibrations, Dumama collaborates with many artists across Berlin's boundary-pushing music scene. Read her personal reflections on the festival below.

The alternative jazz singer muva of Earth graced the stage at Berlin's XJAZZ! festival with their voice and tranquility of their harp-playing. Based in London, the artist draws on their Yoruba roots and embraces serenity and spirituality in their music. With only a few releases so far, muva of Earth crystalises a distinct artistic voice incorporating afrofuturistic rhythms and horns.

One of Britain’s rising jazz musicians, the acclaimed London act delivered one of the most brimming shows at this year’s XJAZZ! edition in Berlin. We caught up for a quick chat with the artist after the show to talk about the British scene and what it means to honour the legacy of jazz music.

On his new release "Variables", Alfa Mist explores themes of identity inspecting its creation by means of reflection and retrospection. NBHAP editor Felicia met with the Newham jazz and hip-hop producer to talk about perspectives of positive pessimism as well as his understanding and appreciation for life and the joy of missing out.

A Song For You is a Berlin-based choir project that unites more than fifty singers. Centering BIPoC voices, the choir provides a space for connecting and exploring the joys of communal singing. Anna Grubauer met Noah Slee, who is part of the founding team, and choreographer Stephanie Ilova for a chat in Berlin after their sold out debut show "The Matriarch".

The Berliner festival, XJAZZ!, is known for bending definitions of jazz. Considering it a word of freedom rather than a narrow genre description, its line-up features international artists with different takes on jazz. We spoke to headliner and South Londoner Rapper Nadia Rose about her music and its connection to the genre.

The Londoner five-piece Ezra Collective released their exuberant new record "Where I'm Meant To Be" via Partisan Records in November. It follows their debut record "You Can't Steal My Joy". We caught up with the band's drummer Femi Koleoso to talk about the role that joy plays in his life, the Londoner music community, and the similarities between jazz and boxing.

"JAZZ IS DEAD". The title of Grammy-nominated musician Theo Croker is written in all caps and comes with a message. Ahead of the release of his new record "Love Quantum", Elana Shapiro sat down with the artist to talk about what the title of of the single means, acknowledging musical ancestry, and why we should stop calling it "Jazz".