Cover The Comet Is Coming (Photo: courtesy of Fabrice Bourgelle)
The Comet Is Coming (Photo: courtesy of Fabrice Bourgelle)
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Grammy winner Richard Bona, famous vocalist Stacey Kent, jazz fusion band The Comet Is Coming and many more feature in an all-star line-up of international and local artists
Freespace Jazz Fest, the annual musical event of the West Kowloon Cultural District, is returning in its fifth edition from October 3 to 8 and October 26. Taking place across Freespace, Art Park, Wonderland, M+ and Xiqu Centre, it brings onstage around 100 performances by more than 500 musicians from 11 countries and regions. With a line-up of Grammy winners, cross-genre collaborators and more, this promises to be must-attend event for music lovers. But if you’re having a hard time deciding which acts to see, Tatler’s got you covered with our top picks of performers to watch at this year’s roundup.
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1. Stacey Kent
Above Stacey Kent (Photo: courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority)
Stacey Kent (Photo: courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority)
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Stacey Kent, who won this year’s Montreal International Jazz Festival’s Ella Fitzgerald Award, will be coming to the Freespace Jazz Fest to perform numbers from her latest album, Songs from Other Places (2021), which explores the themes of belonging and travel. She will be joined by American pianist Art Hirahara and British saxophonist and clarinetist Jim Tomlinson at the concert at Xiqu Centre.
2. Lawrence Ku
Above Lawrence Ku (Photo: courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority)
Lawrence Ku (Photo: courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority)
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One of the most renowned guitarists in China today, Lawrence Ku is known for his diverse style and compositions. He has received several awards and nominations—such as winning the best instrumental album at the China Music Media Awards in 2015 and getting multiple Golden Melody Award nominations the year before. He has also worked with pop artists such as Karen Mok and Li Ronghao, and jazz musicians such as Laura Fygi. For this Hong Kong show, he will be performing with his group Lawrence Ku Trio.
3. The Comet Is Coming
Above The Comet Is Coming (Photo: courtesy of Fabrice Bourgelle and Veil Projects)
The Comet Is Coming (Photo: courtesy of Fabrice Bourgelle and Veil Projects)
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This London-based group fuses jazz, electronica, funk, psychedelic rock and Afrobeat in their work. Both their band name and their music videos allude to outer space—a symbolism that points to their tendency to explore, experiment and push boundaries in music. Coming to town for the first time, the band is expected to set the stage ablaze with their punk and psychedelic sounds.
4. Dasom Baek
Above Dasom Baek (Photo: courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority)
Dasom Baek (Photo: courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority)
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South Korean composer, lecturer and musician Dasom Baek performs with traditional Korean wind instruments such daegeum, sogeum, danso and saenghwang. However, she doesn’t only focus on the traditional styles, instead she experiments with modern sounds while being rooted in her culture. She will be joined by fellow musicians from her home country—geomungo player Ina Kang and vocalist Eunsil Noh—as well as Hong Kong composer Olivier Cong at this concert.
5. Richard Bona
Above Richard Bona (Photo: courtesy of Osmany Torres)
Richard Bona (Photo: courtesy of Osmany Torres)
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You may remember the song Don’t Stop (2005) featuring John Legend. But did you know that it was written and co-performed by Grammy Award-winning bass guitarist and vocalist Bona Pinder Yayumayalolo, who performs under the name Richard Bona? The Cameroon-born American musician is known for his distinctive voice and brio instrumental performances. He has also collaborated with music legends such as Harry Belafonte and Steve Gadd in his early years. For his upcoming show in Hong Kong, he will showcase Afro and Latin jazz beats.
Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
