Jazz concert this Saturday

Younger Belizeans may not know much about jazz music, but those over a certain age will remember Dor Hall’s jazz programme on Radio Belize with fond memories. The radio still gives us a taste of this type of music on Tuesday night’s “Jazz with Dolores” and “Jazz on a Sunday morning” with Frank Rhys… But if you want the real thing, live, this Saturday night you’ll want to be at Paradise 21.

Patrick Jones, Reporting

It is an original form of music, born out of the black experience during the time slavery in the United States. In Belize, a group of musicians have pooled their talents, and tastes, to offer jazz and blues aficionados a night of entertainment.

James Sanker, Concert Promoter

“Well the idea behind the concert is basically to keep jazz as a culture alive in Belize. A group of musicians got together and said, let’s put off another jazz show, because we had one probably about a month ago, and out of that we had very good response from it. Jazz seems to be one of those events that very rarely happen.”

Saturday’s concert at the Paradise 21 nightclub will feature an all-star cast of musicians, with vocalist Jennifer Lovell lending her chords to the blend of easy listening music by the riverside.

This seven-year jazz veteran says this art form allows for versatility.

Jennifer Lovell, Singer

“It’s original and what I like about jazz is that you can do basically whatever you want. It’s very self expressive. It gives one the opportunity to explore different chords, different tunes. Basically when that music is playing I can get lost in it, you know?”

But to achieve that “lost in emotion” effect, Lovell says all the pieces must be in harmony.

Jennifer Lovell

“Good serious musicians, and you have to practice. It’s not a form where you can just decide, you’re just going to get up one day and do jazz. You really have to feel the music to be able to express yourself in the music.”

James Sanker

“People might look at jazz as just swing and bassa. But jazz is a lot of things, funk, rock, rap. If you listen to Sade, Sade stuff is jazz. A lot of pop kind of music today that people don’t think is jazz, is actually jazz. And so we’re trying to educate people also about the different types of jazz that exists.”

But apart from combining brass and strings to produce soothing music, Lovell says jazz expressions can invoke a sense of tranquillity in a world where chaos is often the norm.

Jennifer Lovell

“You see the thing is, everyone I think can benefit from listening to jazz. It’s very soothing, very, very soothing. Some people don’t like classical music. Jazz is expression, you can sit there and feel your troubles melt away listening to jazz.”

Patrick Jones, for News 5.

The jazz concert, which will take place on Saturday night, is a joint presentation of the Belize Music Agency and the House of Culture. Organisers say seating is limited to a hundred and fifty people. Tickets, at twenty dollars each, are available from B.M.A. or the House of Culture.