JIMMY CLIFF – Garden Stage – 11:00 PM
An essential figure in Jamaican musical tradition, the author and creator of Many Rivers to Cross was one of the pioneers of reggae across the globe. While Toots, Peter Tosh, and Bob Marley took over, Cliff led a world-open career, as illustrated by his collaborations with artists as diverse as the Rolling Stones, Elton John (the title song of The Lion King) or Kool & the Gang. Thirty years after the success of The Harder they Come soundtrack, Jimmy Cliff’s art retains all its legitimacy.
GROUNDATION – Garden Stage – 9:00 PM
While striving to enhance the essence of reggae roots, this Californian group has opened a new path by adding elements of jazz, funk, and dub to their music. Groundation was founded in 1998 from the meeting of three musicians from the San Francisco area: Marcus Urani, Ryan Newman, and Harrison Stafford. After strengthening its originality by recruiting other prominent personalities from the Bay Area scene, Groundation gained fame on the international reggae circuit thanks to the album “We Free Again.” Since then, the band has been performing for enthusiastic fans in stadiums across the United States and Brazil, as well as in Europe where they enjoy unparalleled acclaim.
POSITIVE ROOTS BAND – Matisse Stage – 8:00 PM
Comprising eight musicians from France, the Antilles, and Senegal, this excellent reggae group based in Toulouse owes its success to the richness of the cultural and musical melting pot it offers. Their style alternates between roots, dance hall, dub, and ragga with texts addressing eclectic subjects (love, school, planetary issues…), all in a festive atmosphere, imbued with simplicity, that has given the band its very… Positive image.
JOE ZAWINUL – Arenas – 11:00 PM
The founder of Weather Report deserved a heartfelt tribute for the open-mindedness that has systematically guided him for half a century, prompting him to leave his mark on all styles, currents, and schools by skillfully juggling all sorts of instruments like a genius juggler. Just as comfortable in the original rhythm & blues context alongside Dinah Washington as he was in the face of the electronic challenge in the fusion era, Joe Zawinul belongs to that rare category of universal innovators.
BITTY McLEAN with SLY & ROBBIE – Arenas – 9:30 PM
Drummer Lowell “Sly” Dunbar and bassist Robert “Robbie” Shakespeare not only constitute the most sought-after rhythm section of the reggae planet; with more than 200,000 recordings to their credit, they could likely make it into the Guinness World Records of studios! After working with all the world of rock’s superstars (Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, Grace Jones, Serge Gainsbourg, Sting, and more recently Sinead O’Connor), Sly & Robbie are supporting Bitty McLean this year. Long associated with the English reggae band UB40, this Anglo-Jamaican singer is currently making waves in reggae and ragga circles with his delightful vocal style.
K’NANN – Matisse Stage – 10:00 PM
This Toronto-based rapper offers particularly original music intertwining African rhythms and urban sounds. Originally from Somalia, K’Nann had to flee his country with his family on the last commercial flight out of Mogadishu, at the height of the civil war that shook the Horn of Africa. After spending some time in Harlem, K’Nann’s family settled in Canada where he embarked on an artistic career marked by his desire to denounce the atrocities committed in the name of all forms of intolerance.
MYSTIC REVELATION OF RASTAFARI – Arenas – 7:45 PM
The famous Oswald “Count Ossie” Williams and his pioneering formation are largely responsible for the introduction of African rhythms and folk melodies into the vocabulary of Jamaican music. As early as the sixties, this concept allowed them to lay the foundation for what would become reggae. Long before Kingston became a major musical capital following the success of Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley, Count Ossie was already experimenting with rhythmic and cultural fusions that transformed the artistic landscape of his native island, and more broadly that of world music. On the eve of his 80th birthday, Count Ossie is delighted to perform in Nice on the same evening as several of his most gifted disciples.
SOCCA JAZZ
BABYCLONE – 6:30 PM – Matisse Stage
Founded in 2003, Babyclone is inspired by the greatest in Jamaican reggae, ragga, rocksteady, and dancehall, to define their atypical style.
In January 2005, Babyclone won the “young talents” competition at the Cédac de Cimiez in Nice and joined the Rubaskapèu association. They released their first album “Political Business” in 2006.
After playing fifty concerts in the PACA region, they won another competition (polytech-festival) in 2006 and played alongside K2R Riddim, N&SK, and As Dragon at the Palais Nikaia in Nice.
Babyclone advocates for the dissemination of reggae and its message throughout the region with their unique character and ever-renewed energy in concert.
PRACTICAL GUIDE
more info at: www.nicejazzfest.com
Rates:
Presale: €35 / Full price: €39 / Group: €31
3-day Jazz Pass: €90 / Jazz Festival Pass: €179
Children’s rate (under 12): €10
Student rate (FNAC Exclusive): €28
Inquiries:
04 93 19 37 40
Sales points
Fnac, Carrefour, Géant – 0892.707.507 (€0.12/min)
www.fnac.com
Virgin, Auchan, Leclerc, Galfa Voyages, Cultura – 0892.69.70.73 (€0.34/min)
www.ticketnet.fr
