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Jazz musicians and artists are coming together in London to raise money to help the people of Ukraine, currently under invasion by Russia.
Make Music Not War
Sunday March 13th, 7:00pm
Hosted by The Cockpit Theatre’s long-standing innovative music night, Jazz in the Round, Concert for Ukraine is the brainchild of international jazz harpist and Jazz FM Award Nominee Alina Bzhezhinska. Over a mere 12 hours, Ukrainian-born Alina has put together a thrilling line-up of musicians and artists. All proceeds from the event will go to Come Back Alive – the Ukrainian charity founded in 2014 in response to the Russian invasion of the Crimean peninsula, and directly to musicians and their families in Ukraine.
Speaking on her reasons for organising the concert, Alina says:
“My country is burning. As a native Ukrainian and a human being I can not be silent.
I wish I could go and fight alongside my family who are all in the resistance, but I have to stay where I am and use my music as my weapon. My mother told me I have to be strong for all Ukrainians and play my music for them to show solidarity and give my people some comfort and love.
I am very touched by the response from so many musicians, and of course from the Cockpit Theatre staff, who managed to work out everything in less than 12 hours to make this charity concert happen.
The lineup for the night is pretty amazing. We have classical musicians from Kharkiv Ukraine, jazz stars Tony Kofi, Neil Charles and Cleveland Watkiss, all supported by HipHarpCollective members Mikele Montolli, Adam Teixeira and Joel Prime; singers Niki King, Vimala Rowe and Jo Harrop, pianist GéNIa, rapper Tom They/Them and many others.
I am very proud of my friends and family – and everywhere standing up against evil right now. Ukraine has always been a European country; it has amazing people, who only want to live in peace and harmony with the rest of the world.
They were pushed to become great warriors, but they are musicians and artists, doctors and lawyers, housewives and teachers and all of them are now united against the aggressor who wants to kill democracy and freedom in their country. This concert is important for all of us as peace is so fragile at the moment and the world needs this – peace – the most.”
Cockpit Director Dave Wybrow said, “The Cockpit has a proud tradition of supporting anti-authoritarian endeavours – from our Dissdent Voices series to work featured in Voila!, our European Theatre festival. It is our pleasure – more importantly, duty as a venue devoted to ideas and disruptive panache – to do all we can to help Alina and the brave citizens of Ukraine in their struggle to resist the invader. We stand with Ukraine. We stand with all oppressed people against the forces of totalitarianism and its attendant mediocrities.”
There will be more information on the night about the charities and accounts where people can donate directly to the musicians and their families who are suffering, as well as families of military men who are fighting fearlessly for their land and for peace.
Undoubtedly one of the leading harpists in the world today, Alina Bzhezhinska is a one-woman powerhouse, on a mission to bring the harp to the fore of contemporary sound. A jazz harpist, composer, band leader and a founder of the digital platform HipHarpCollective, she’s also trying to remarket the harp in 2021. New album, REFLECTIONS out March 4th.
HIPHARPCOLLECTIVE are a collective of contemporary artists, professional music makers, producers and harp lovers who collaborate, collect and exchange information on contemporary harp development, and promote the harp with meetings, concerts and recordings.
A British Jazz multi-instrumentalist born of Ghanaian parents, Tony plays Alto, Baritone, Soprano and Tenor saxophones and the flute. He cut his teeth with the Jazz Warriors in the early 90’s, and has gone on to win Best Album and Best Instrumentalist at the BBC Jazz Awards, Best Ensemble at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards, The Black Achievers Cultural, Music and Arts Award, The Jack Petchey Foundation Award, and has also received a MOBO nomination.
One of London’s top female vocalists whose musical influences include jazz, soul and an eclectic mix of world music stemming from her time studying Hindustani Classical vocals in Nagpur India. Her EP ‘Vimala’, won her the 2008 Indy Music award for Best Soul, Jazz & Funk act, and her album ‘Out Of The Sky’ with John Etheridge was critics choice in both the Sunday Times and The Guardian.
A virtuoso vocalist, actor and composer, Cleveland studied voice at the London School of Singing, and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He was one of the co-founders of the vastly influential Jazz Warriors big band, and was voted best vocalist for three consecutive years at the Wire/Guardian Jazz Awards.
An award winning singer and song-writer whose accolades include; winner of the prestigious UK Perrier Jazz Vocalist Award, The Scottish Style Award and The Spirit Of Scotland Music Medal.
Tom theythem is fascinated with the sensuality of words – their sights, sounds and textures. This has guided them through hip hop, jazz, collage & ambient with a thirst for experimentation deeply rooted in a joy for collaboration. They are a big believer in the power of freestyling, and practices as widely as they can.
Raised on a heady musical diet of Nina Simone, Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin, Jo cut her teeth as a session singer, working with a host of iconic artists including Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart and Gloria Gaynor. The Guardian dubbed her album ‘Weathering The Storm’ “…a little gem of an album: simple, modest and perfect,”
Ex-Tomorrow’s Warrior and former member of Empirical, Neil Charles is a classically trained double bass player who is pretty handy as a jazz electric bassist. Leader of the free-improv trio, Zed-U, Charles also collaborates with a vast range of UK based artists from both the jazz and pop genres.
A Ukrainian/Russian born concert pianist-turned-composer-yogi from Kharkiv, GéNIA recently enjoyed success with her compositions by releasing her solo piano album ‘Babylon’ alongside several sold-out London shows. whilst her music enjoyed placements in the critically acclaimed BBC America TV Series ‘Killing Eve” (starring Sandra Oh) and well-known British ITV series ‘Cold Feet’.
and many more to come…
The Cockpit Theatre & Jazz in the Round Presents…
Make Music Not War
Sunday March 13th, 7:00pm
Tickets £15
https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/concertforukraine
All proceeds go to Come Back Alive (AKA Save a Life) and support for musicians currently in Ukraine
https://savelife.in.ua/en/donate/
https://www.comebackalive.in.ua/
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