US-based jazz band, Nasar Abadey and Supernova on Sept 3 staged a relaxing and soothing performance at Serena Hotel, Kigali. The concert was by invitation only.

The band is composed of Nasar Abadey (drums), Joe Ford (saxophone), Richard Johnson (piano/keyboard), and Corcoran Holt (bass).

Throughout, Richard Johnson kept the volume high and played a rich variety of electronic keyboards, also picking up a guitar and dueling with bassist Corcoran Holt.

Once on the stage, the band got the evening off to a graceful start, ending on a soothing note. Joe Ford mixed a fast and percussive with sweet, clave tunes and introduced a fiery performance from the local artists, who added flavour to the concert with their rich cultural melodies.

Richard Johnson’s piano skills were highly appreciated. The band did a swinging version with powerful routines.
The band performs Jazz in a multidimensional and explores various Jazz elements such as traditional African rhythms, bebop, fusion, Afro-Cuban, Afro Brazilian, and free form.

Nasar Abadey and Supernova believe that touring is an opportunity to engage in dialogue about jazz music, the elements particular to the genre, its history, and the mixture of cultures that contributed to the creation of jazz as an art form.

The band jetted into the country on Sep 2 and will leave today for Uganda, where they are expected to perform.

Photos/T. Kisambira