Brazil. Cuba. Nigeria. Bangladesh. India. Britain. I have never before heard a more majestic fusion of sounds from across the globe brought together on one stage, more than even that opening list describes. The joy, the celebration, the vibrancy and colour; this is what live music is all about and this is what the Watford Jazz Junction Festival has brought to the Pump House Theatre stage. A priceless gift at subsidised prices - no wonder it sold out!
The core of the sound is Afrobeats, a unifying dancing rhythm that brings all the various elements of the music together. With ten performers on stage, each with their own cultural heritage and musical influences, there was a powerful sense of connection and communication which underscored the fact that music (and the arts more generally) are the true diplomacy, building bridges across nations and cultures and communities the world over in a way that politics never can.
Lying on top of those Afro-Cuban grooves were sounds from Lagos, from India, from Bangladesh, from London and - dare I say it - from Watford! The coming together of these disparate sounds never felt forced or conflicted. It was like being in the presence of a living, breathing symbol of the interconnectedness of human beings, of the joy and playfulness we can bring to one another if we step outside of the prevailing news cycle and apocalyptic headlines, and instead remember to just enjoy one another's playfulness, love and company. The improvisations, especially from Justin Thurgur on trombone and Nick Walters on trumpet, were full of power and invention and protest, blasting away by their sheer physicality any doubt about the strength of this band's mission and message.
I guarantee every member of tonight's audience left the Pump House Theatre feeling on top of the world. A world united.
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