Ella Jane Fitzgerald
In honour of the late iconic jazz singer Ella Jane Fitzgerald, Maximum Jazz will present a jazz musical concert and theatre stage play production on Sunday, July 30 at 7pm at the Accra City Hotel.
The jazz genre continues to be greatly impacted27 years after Ella’s passing, and her description of vocal jazz continues to be unmatched.
Known for its artistic depth, impressive jazz content, and high-calibre productions, Maximum Jazz, the event’s organiser, has revealed a new generation of jazz audiences, enthusiasts, musicians, performers, support groups, and investors in Ghana who are knowledgeable about the musical, theoretical, and historical roots of jazz as well as where it is going in the future.
Yomi Sower, founder of Maximum Jazz, singer, screenwriter, and filmmaker, stated in an interview with BEATWAVES that, “It is appropriate to celebrate the Singer, Ella Fitzgerald, for her consistency that spanned six decades.”
The stage play is set in the racially divided 1950s USA, a time when black musicians, like Ella Fitzgerald, showed perseverance, hard work, and a dedication to excellent musicianship despite facing prejudice, receiving subpar wages, and being accorded less respect than their white counterparts.
It is a lesson for today’s musicians or celebrity artistes, many of whom feel entitled, and those who release mechanically-enhanced musical works requiring little artistic effort, Yomi continued. “A musician must work hard, train constantly to hone their musical skills, to remain relevant for many decades.”
Along with Nik K, an actor of Indian ethnicity, and Yomi Sower, who will play Ella Fitzgerald, Theodore Bisserbe, a theatrical actor of French and Canadian heritage, portrays Norman Granz in the play.
Ella Jane Fitzgerald, born April 25, 1917 garnered 14 Grammy awards, including one for lifetime achievement. She also received a Kennedy Center Honor for lifetime achievement (1979) and the National Medal of Arts (1987).
For Reservations/ Enquiries about this event contact: +233 261889221
joyceasamoah555@gmail.com
BY Joyce Awukubea Asamoah