Jazz in Ouaga (Jazz à Ouaga)

Jazz in Ouaga, a shared passion

Created in 1992 by a few jazz lovers, the association Jazz à Ouaga aims to increase the culture of jazz, this music born from black exile and now universal, through the training and organization each year of the jazz festival of Ouagadougou.

The association Jazz à Ouaga benefits from the constant support of the Burkinabe government and I am delighted by this meritorious support to a structure that knows how to combine dynamism and passion in the service of musicians and music lovers in Burkina Faso.

Jazz à Ouaga has always remained faithful to a quality programming. The growing popularity of the public and musicians in Burkina Faso is proof of this. Considered at the beginning as an "elite" festival, Jazz à Ouaga has been transformed for several years now as the unmissable musical event in the cultural landscape of Burkina Faso. This is why actions such as the decentralization of the festival in Bobo-Dioulasso, the programming of shows in other places (Rond-point de la Patte d'Oie, Maison du Peuple) have taken place with more or less great success.

In addition, the participation of new partners and sponsors (Agence Intergouvernementale de la Francophonie, Africalia-Belgium, SPEDIDAM-France, PSIC, ...) has enabled the festival to become more international and established.

Several Burkinabe musicians programmed at Jazz in Ouaga have had opportunities for exchange and programming in other festivals.

For its 13th edition which will take place from April 29 to May 7, 2005, Jazz à Ouaga would like to demonstrate that music is a factor of integration between peoples. This is why the theme chosen this year is "Jazz and world music, factors of integration of peoples". Convinced of this, we have in August 2004, in association with the Jazz Festival of Guinea and the Saint-Louïs Jazz of Senegal, set up the Conventional Network of Jazz Festivals in Africa.

The aim of this network is to promote the knowledge and practice of Jazz music, in all its forms, by all compatible acoustic and reproduction means, in various African countries, during organized regional tours or festivals.

Jazz à Ouaga 2005 would also like to open its horizons to other audiences. Thus, for the first time, we will go to discover music lovers and jazz lovers of Northern Burkina Faso by programming 2 concerts in Ouahigouya. This in collaboration with the municipal authorities, very attached to the promotion of music.

 

Objectives

Burkinabè music is currently going through a favorable period where new talents have won the favor of an increasingly demanding public.

But problems persist because most of the musical groups that do research work are cruelly lacking in means and above all in contacts and openness.

Since its inception, the Jazz Festival in Ouaga has endeavored to organize concerts, peripheral activities, such as workshops and courses to provide a professional meeting place for musicians living and working in Burkina Faso and particularly in Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso.

For this edition, the formula adopted is to allow these artists to directly rub shoulders with their invited colleagues from African countries but also from Europe around master classes and to directly offer the results every evening during jam sessions in the festival village.

The training of Burkinabe artists and raising their level through its various activities is one of the major objectives that prevailed at the creation of the association.

In general, the Festival seeks to:

To increase the jazz culture of the audiences of Ouagadougou and Burkina through awareness actions such as conferences, exhibitions, video sessions,

Organize an annual jazz festival to bring jazz and world music to the public.

Contribute to the training of musicians in Burkina Faso through encounters and confrontation with other musical practices.

Main activities

Annual festival of jazz and world music with concerts and jam sessions.

Course open to music professions (musicians, singers, sound technicians...) with Master Classes.

Jazz exhibitions, video projections and conferences.