Jazz against power: a concert full of musical resistance!

Jazz against power: a concert full of musical resistance!

On May 2, 2025, a remarkable concert took place, which not only moved into a clear position musically, but also in terms of content. The performance focused on autocratic tendencies in the USA and included quotes from American jazz musicians who reacted critically to the current president. This social and political dimension was reflected in the presentation of two different bands. The first formation was the quartet around the double bass player Roger Kintopf.

This quartet, consisting of three musicians from the Cologne jazz scene, brought together the talented artists Victor Fox (bass clarinet, tenor saxophone) and Leif Berger (drums), the latter bearer of the Cologne jazz award. Her Danish colleague Asger Nissen, an old saxophonist who lives in Berlin, completed the ensemble. Kintopf's pieces that are strongly structured and are characterized by abstract melody and unconventional harmony show the influence of new music. The band has already released two albums, and Leif Berger is a student of the well -known German jazz drummer Jonas Burgwinkel.

from Highlife to Modernity

After a short break, the band "Highlife" performed under the direction of Peter Somuah. Highlife is a music style from Ghana that combines jazz, blues and rhythm and blues with typical African rhythm. Somuah and his Dutch companions offered a danceable fusion music that was supplemented by radio elements. The line -up included Danny Rombout (Conga), Jens Meijer (drums), Marijn van der Veen (double bass) and Anton de Bruin (piano, electronic keyboard). Her arrangements were based on simple chord schemes.

The topics of the pieces were not particularly memorable, and although Somuah was announced as a upcoming trumpet star, he showed weaknesses in phrasing and intonation. The concert started complex and challenging, but ended with entertaining

jazz and his social dimension

The connection between jazz and political protest has grown historically. Jazz-like music found its way to Europe in the First World War when the American Hellfighers and the March Chapel landed in France under James Reese Europe in 1918. This interaction led to the spread of jazz and created a bridge between African -American experiences and European music cultures. Jazz sees the history of slavery and resistance as the central components of its development.

jazz is not only a musical practice, but also a place of identity construction. As Barry Ulanov noticed in 1979, identity plays a crucial role in jazz. This music not only reflects African-American history, but is also anchored in the European scene, and there is a constant challenge to rethink our perspectives on this art form and, including the perspectives of non-dominant groups

The acceptance of jazz in Germany has changed over the years. While at the beginning he was perceived as exotic and often characterized by racist stereotypes, he experienced a renaissance, especially after the Second World War. Jazz became a kind of valve for social upheavals and a form of expression for social efforts.

Jazz research continues this discussion. Identity policies in jazz are anything but new and reflect on the historical debates about social inequality. This music extends across cultural borders and remains a dynamic medium to raise voices and promote changes. Ultimately, it shows that jazz is not only a musical practice, but also a powerful instrument for social and political expression.