Kenya's Christine Kamau to play American trumpet fest

The 18th edition will "present lots of exciting new music by trumpeters from near and far. Live talks and a workshop will complement performances," the organisers of the American festival said. They also announced that American jazz trumpeter Baikida Carroll would receive the 2020 Font Music Award of Recognition for his creativity and originality.

Kamau, who will perform on 14 September, told Music In Africa that she was delighted to share a platform with "phenomenal and extremely technically proficient trumpeters."

"It is a great honour to be featured alongside such formidable trumpet players from around the world. My music career has seen me performing mostly at various festivals here in Africa. This will be my debut performance at an American festival, and I am excited that it will be on such an incredible platform dedicated towards trumpet music," she said.

Kamau's performance will also feature Victor Kimetto on keyboards and Emmanuel Chacha on drums. South African trumpeter Ndabo Zulu is also on the festival line-up.

Kamau was recently named among the 120 recipients of the COVID-19 Solidarity Fund for African Artists and Cultural Organizations (SOFACO) by the African Culture Fund (ACF). She says the industry is appreciative of cultural institutions and NGOs that are providing funding for African musicians during the COVID-19 crisis.

"I feel like a lot of people look at 2020 and are ready to skip on over to 2021, and I understand that. A lot of work got cancelled due to the current situation, but thankfully, a few projects transitioned into the digital space. Personally, I showcased a pre-recorded performance at South Africa's virtual National Arts Festival and have kept busy by spending time practising and composing. It has been fulfilling to get back to that pure space of creating art for art's sake," Kamau said.

The Festival of New Trumpet Music will stream live on YouTube and Facebook starting at 1am CAT.