Jazz newsflash: Chief Adjuah no longer plays the trumpet – well, at least not on his latest Grammy-nominated release Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lightning, which was proclaimed best jazz album of 2023 by The New York Times. Especially for use on that album, he designed the Adjuah Bow, a harp that resembles the West African kora. It’s very much part of who the ever-innovative Adjuah (formerly known as Christian Scott) is, namely someone who attaches great importance to his roots. This isn’t the first time that he’s designed his own instrument; he’s already created several trumpets, which he’s used at previous editions of the festival. If you were in the audience for any of those, you will also have heard how he interconnects avant-garde compositions with West African traditions and the culture of the Black Indians from his hometown of New Orleans. He is deeply rooted in this tradition, in which masquerades and especially music play a major role, and that connection is even more strongly enhanced through his Adjuah Bow.
