Makumbi Sound jazz band comes of age

It is sometimes easy to tell the exact moment when a band or group of musicians come of age. And for Makumbi Sound band, that moment has come after a year of gracing high profile events in Kigali coupled with a growing fan base. The band has played at most upscale entertainment spots in Kigali and it has a big following of jazz lovers. Makumbi Sound is a collection of many musicians including part timers and full time professionals. How Makumbi Sound started Drummer Andrew Mold, an economist, says the band was formed at the beginning of 2013. The founding members are two highly experienced guitarists; Ibrahim Tam Fum, originally from DR Congo and Chris Nicholson, who is a classically-trained guitarist from the Royal College of Music in the UK and, is involved in a number of NGOs that promote music in the country. Together they hatched the idea to play some jazz. The composition of the members They rightly claim to be the most popular international band playing in Kigali right now. After Chris and Tam Fum, other regular members of the Sound include Tamon Oshimo, a trumpetist, Junior Keys Kafi, a local pianist, Elliot, a saxophonist from Kenya, and Kim Kwang, a bassist from South Korea. Makumbi Sound is basically an instrumental band, but often there are guest singers who join, like American soul vocalist Ayla Schlosser and home girl Melody Ntawigaya, a jazz singer, among others. Makumbi Sound consists mainly of jazz artistes. Promoting jazz in Rwanda Andrew says: “Our aim is to play and promote jazz in Rwanda. It’s a music we are all passionate about, which cuts across cultural and generational divides - but this is something that is not always widely understood.” “There is so much hip-hop and electronic-generated music on the airwaves nowadays that young people often are forgetting the importance of playing music live - and the thrill of interacting with a live audience,” he adds. Temon says: “We are both local and international and we want to use that to appeal to the Rwandan music listeners .We want to give listeners a new experience. A description of the music they play Andrew says that a lot of people do not realise how beautiful jazz music is. They try to play jazz with a groove. Jazz can move an audience, either because it has an infectious melody or a compelling rhythm. “There are Latin American and African influences to the music. The favourite reference points are people like Miles Davies, Wayne Shorter or Herbie Hancock. Which might sound new to many but are worth checking out,” says Andrew. The Sound will perform at The White Horse this Saturday from 9p.m till late and, on November 29 the band will perform at the Heaven Restaurant in Kiyovu, from 7.30p.m to 10.30 pm.

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Makumbi Sound jazz band comes of age