"I was merely twenty years old when I embarked on a singing and songwriting career. Jazz bands seemed a natural choice for me. I worked as a teacher by day and devoted my nights to club singing. I enjoyed it thoroughly as music brought color into my life (...). This went on for six years, with performances four to seven nights a week. These engagements not only made me self-sufficient but also allowed me to pursue what really makes me happy," shared Malia in an interview for audio.com.pl a few years ago.

Malia, originally hailing from Malawi in southeast Africa, is widely celebrated for her chic neo-soul jazz reminiscent of legends like Billie Holiday and Nina Simone, and for maintaining a deep connection to traditional sounds of Africa. At the age of fourteen, Malia, alongside her parents, moved from Malawi to London. There, a few years later, while working in a jazz restaurant, she discovered her enduring love for the music she performs today.

Between 2002 and 2007, she released her initial albums Yellow Daffodils, Echoes of Dreams and Young Bones, a collaborative effort with the esteemed French pianist and composer, Andre Manoukian. Subsequently, she teamed up with Boris Blank from the renowned Swiss duo Yello. Together they released the celebrated, award-winning albums Black Orchid and Convergence. Black Orchid, with renditions of Nina Simone's timeless classics, was a breakthrough in the artist's career. The album Malawi Blues/Njira is considered a revisit of her African roots, while the latest offering, The Garden of Eye, released three years ago, weaves together various thematic threads that have defined her artistic journey.

No reminder is necessary of the fantastic legacy that Jazz Era has left in Poznań. The festival has found a place for itself here again in recent years. This spring, the EABS band graced us with an amazing jubilee concert commemorating Era's quarter-century anniversary. The event featured the musical performance Before the Day Breaks.

The upcoming November concert promises no shortage of national themes. It will witness a premiere of the collector's album entitled We've been playing for 25 years. Additionally, the Era Jazzu award will be presented to Damian Kostka, who is set to perform in Poznań with the premiere of his album Rules for Being Human. Damian Kostka, an outstanding double bassist from Poznań, will appear with his original quintet. He has assembled such remarkable musicians as Kuba Marciniak (saxophone), Jacek Szwaj (piano), Cyprian Baszyński (trumpet) and Mateusz Brzostowski (drums).

Tomasz Janas

translation: Krzysztof Kotkowski

Era Jazzu - We've been playing for 25 years! Malia, Damian Kostka, AMU Auditorium, 5 November, tickets: PLN 100-180

© Wydawnictwo Miejskie Posnania 2023