The young jazz guitarist Matteo Di Leonardo is back in Kenya for the third time and, thanks to the contribution of the Italian Cultural Institute of Nairobi, he will carry out a mini-tour in Nairobi, Watamu and Malindi, playing with Kenyan musicians as part of the collaboration with Kenyan organisations and venues.
But not only concerts, in the two weeks that see him on African soil, which began a few days ago, Matteo conducted two masterclasses for young musicians: on 11 February in the Korogocho slum in collaboration with the Art of Music Foundation and the 'Ghetto Classics' project, and on Monday 13 at the capital's Conservatory. Tomorrow, Thursday 16 February, the guitarist from Abruzzo, who in 2019 released the album 'Kabisa' in collaboration with some of Kenya's best jazz musicians, will take the stage at the Geco Café with renowned trumpeter Mackinley Mutsembi, drummer JoG and bassist Mike Onyie. With the same line-up, Di Leonardo will be the next day at another temple of Nairobi jazz, the Shamba Café. Both evenings are open to the public. Next week, the Italian jazz musician, who has lived in Belgium since 2015 after graduating from the Brussels Conservatory, will be on the Kenyan coast, performing on Monday 20 at Sunset Beach in Watamu and on the 21st in Malindi, at the Bar Bar. On both occasions he will be accompanied by the Mijikenda jazz band for a set mixing 'blue notes' and tribal rhythms.
Of the appointments in Watamu and Malindi we will speak at length in the coming days.
For any further information, please write to iicnairobi@esteri.it