Jazzy April in Kathmandu

The music fest which began on 13 April will conclude with a grand celebration on International Jazz Day on 30 April. The festival’s mission at its inception in 2017 was to educate, and KatJazz also raises funds for scholarships at the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory (KJC). This year’s line-up features 10 international and Nepali musicians as well as 12 Kathmandu’s ‘other’ jazz festival, KatJazz, has returned for its seventh iteration this month, blending contemporary music with Nepal’s rich traditions.

The music fest which began on 13 April will conclude with a grand celebration on International Jazz Day on 30 April. The festival’s mission at its inception in 2017 was to educate, and KatJazz also raises funds for scholarships at the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory (KJC). This year’s line-up features 10 international and Nepali musicians as well as 12 student concerts. There are also masterclasses and workshops that are free and accessible to all.

“It is not just a Jazz Festival, it is also a music conservatory festival,” explains Abhisek Bhadra, academic director at KJC and co-organiser of the festival.

The 2025 festival is celebrating women in music, aligning with the festival’s theme, Taking the Lead. Half of the events will feature and be led by women from across musical backgrounds, including Carole Alston, Once We Knew, and multiple artists from Emerging Voices.

Organisers are also highlighting the interpretations of jazz across the world’s communities, with artists representing Spanish music, Thai Jazz, Nepali folk, and more.

Co-organiser Mari Fajardo is a vocalist for the five-member Spanish group Ya Si Ver & co which seamlessly blends Spanish folk with jazz. She says: “Folk music has always been a thing to share, the core essence of folk music everywhere is the same.”

Once We Knew, made up of Swiss and Nepali performers formed only in 2023, is developing an understanding of how it can work together as a group.

“We are excited to bring our voices and music to Nepal for KatJazz,” says group member Sneha Lama, “This almost feels too good to be true.”

The jazz scene in Kathmandu has evolved over the last two decades. The other festival Jazzmandu held its 20th festival last year, pioneering and cultivating the taste of jazz in Nepal while also providing a platform for new and home-grown artists.

“Jazz is a very generous language, it is one of the few art forms that can connect you to your own roots,” says Bhadra of KJC.

Carole Alston (USA)

Carole Alston, a gospel, blues, and jazz vocalist, has played leading roles in multiple musicals including West Side Story, The Man of LaMancha, and Jesus Christ Superstar. She has taught jazz at the Austrian conservatory in Klagenfurt as well as at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München.

Carole Alston - Voice | Martin Zenker - Bass | Abhisek Bhandra - Piano | | Lucas Fixel - Drums

Once We Knew (Switzerland/Nepal)

Once We Knew was formed by four friends (Maria von Rütte, Alice Auclair, Martina Henriques Dias and Sneha Lama) at Jazzcampus in Basel in 2023. Inspired by groups like American vocal quartet Säje, the friends share a love and fascination for singing and creating harmonies.

Sneha Lama - Voice | Martina Henriques Dias - Voice | Maria von Rütte - Voice | Alice Auclair - Voice | Sébastian Rudhard - Bass | Marcelo Figueiredo - Guitar

Roots Rewired (Nepal)

Roots Rewired is the collaborative effort of two Nepali bands. Rajat Rai has taken inspiration from Reggae, Afro-Beat and West African music, and infused it with Nepali folk, jazz, and West African rhythms. Sonagi Blues blends traditional instruments such as Nagara, Sichya, Bhuchya, Dha, and Sarod with modern ones like Guitar to create a mix of rock and Indian classical music.

Rajat Rai - Voice / Guitar | Chhitij KC - Drums | Pau Roses - Bass | Paul Tynan - Trumpet | Tomas Carrasco - Flute & Saxophone | Abhisek Bhadra - Keyboards

Emerging Voices (Nepal)

With three singers and one instrumentalist, this Nepali group includes Yaju Acharya and Samita Limbu’s blend of folk and classical influences, Kunzanee’s exploration of tradition through contemporary lens, and Nami’s vibrant and personal set of original songs that draw inspiration from jazz, pop, indie, reggae, and more.

Yaju Acharya - Voice / Flute | Samita Limbu - Voice | Kunzanee - Voice | Nami - Voice

Ya Si Ver & co (Spain)

Ya Si Ver & co is a collaborative project rooted in the folk traditions of Spain, and reimagines Spanish Folk by combining Spanish Folk with Jazz music, drawing from art forms like Flamenco.

María Fajardo - Voice | Nené Álvarez - Voice | Javier Galiana - Piano | Javier Delgado - Upright Bass | Guillermo Martín-Viana - Drums

Fixel Trio ft. Jatziri Gallegos & Siddharth Gautam (Brazil/Mexico/India)

This group captures the spirit of Brazilian culture and celebrates the various communities that have shaped musician Lucas Fixel’s journey. As a part of this year’s KatJazz theme, Taking the Lead, Fixel Trio will be featured with Carole Alston, Once We Knew, and Ya Si Ver & co on a series of concerts to celebrate women in music.

Lucas Fixel - Drums | Jatziri Gallegos - Voice | Siddhartha Gautam - Guitar

SCHEDULE

Emerging Voices (Nepal)

Friday, 18 April

7PM onwards

Rs1,000

Bhumi, Lazimpat

Roots Rewired

Tuesday, 22 April

7:30PM onwards

Rs1,000

Electric Pagoda, Thamel

Ya Si Ver & co (Spain)

Wednesday, 23 April

7:30PM onwards

Rs1,000

La Terrasse, Chundevi

Once We Knew (Switzerland/Nepal)

Thursday, 24 April

7:30PM onwards

Rs1,000

Moksh, Jhamsikhel

Carole Alston (USA)

Friday, 25 April

7:30PM onwards

Rs1,000

Dhokaima Cafe, Patan Dhoka

Fixel Trio ft. Jatziri Gallegos & Siddharth Gautam (Brazil/Mexico/India)

Saturday, 26 April

3PM onwards

Rs500

Yellow House, Sanepa

Future Harmonies: KatJazz Festival Finale

Wednesday, 30 April

7PM onwards

Rs1,500

Eden Amphitheatre, Sanepa