 'Kwassa Kwassa: Music & Dance of the Congo: An Unforgettable Evening of Smooth Groove and Soaring Song! The WJO's collaboration with the Congolese band True Generation this past Saturday had the entire audience at the CCFM grooving and moving in their seats. There were so many stand out moments during this once-in-a-lifetime concert experience but a special shout out goes to Mutunwa 'Enée' Nyelele, and all of his True Generation band mates, who brought so much life and joyous energy to this show. His improvised lyrics and vibrant on-stage presence took this program to another level every time he took the stage. Joyce German's piece, White Nile, was haunting and hopeful all at once. With an accompanying poem about the societal challenges and poignant beauty of the Nile River and its significance in South Sudan, this piece was a lovely departure into emotional waters near the start of the second half of the show. In brilliant contrast, Henry Onwuchekwa, of the Dr. Henry Band, shared his pieces Rough Handle and Oriri. Infused with a smooth groove and so much silky guitar, these pieces cast a cool spell over the room. And, let's not forget Neil Watson, who brought all of these amazing performers together, and expressed his impressive skills as both a composer and a conductor with deep passion and caring flair. Not to mention that he can play one mean cowbell! All in all, Kwassa Kwassa proved to be another triumphant event for the WJO and we hope to join forces with and show support for the very talented True Generation, Joyce German and Henry Onwuchekwa for years to come!' ~written by Quinn Greene Clip from True Generation (A Matter of Most Importance) written by True Generation and Neil Watson Clip from Joyce German's composition "White Nile"
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Want to know more about our upcoming concert? Watch this full length interview below. Kwassa Kwassa: Music and Dance of the Congo Saturday November 11th, 2023 at 7:30pm CCFM 340 Provencher Blvd, Winnipeg  Our season opener was a fabulous hit! Audrey Ochoa dazzled the audience with her trombone playing, singing and compositions. The Jazz Orchestra started with a swinging arrangement before bringing out Audrey for the rest of the concert. This young dynamo effortlessly flipped between a strong and powerful sound on Latin tunes to a smooth, lyrical sound on ballads. Her compositions showcased the many styles she loves to play from swing to latin to ska to ballads with lush and lyrical melodies. She possesses an incredible range on the trombone from booming low notes to intense heights and her improvised solos stood out as well-crafted and thematic. Audrey kept the audience engaged in between pieces with hilarious introductions showcasing how her compositions were inspired, like her homage to Beyonce with “Ms. Latrassi,” inspired by a pandemic-induced Twitter conspiracy theory, to “Swamp Castles” when she was mad at her twin sister for moving an hour away from her. If you were there then you know what we mean. The show was trombone heavy, at times featuring every trombonist on stage trading solos with Audrey to a duet with this concert’s co-ordinator Joel Green. Then she sang a few songs and absolutely floored the audience with an amazing voice. Where did she get the energy to put on such a marvelous show after working at Tempo (The Manitoba Music Educators’ Association conference) on Friday and working with students at the WJO Big Band Workshops on Saturday!? All in all, The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra had an incredible time showcasing the many talents of Audrey Ochoa and we look forward to the next show in our season: Kwassa Kwassa: Music and Dance of the Congo on November 11th, 2023 at 7:30pm, Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain.  What a fun concert we had this past Sunday! Our summer series closer featuring music in the style of Django Reinhardt was a hit, here is a clip from that evening below. The musicians featured here were: Suzanne Kennelly (vocals), Neil Watson (saxophone), Clair Tang (violin), Kasey Kurtz (guitar), Aaron Shorr (guitar), Sam Fournier (bass). Thanks to all who attended and look out for more patio concerts next summer. In the meantime though we are gearing up for our 26th season, stay tuned for more info coming soon. Enjoy the rest of your summer!  The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra has an active education program. One of our ongoing projects which takes place every June are the Honour Jazz Bands. Auditions are welcomed from all over Manitoba and we put together three bands: Junior, Intermediate and Senior. The students get together two weekends in a row to rehearse and have sectionals with local professionals. The Honour Jazz Band holds a final concert as part of the Winnipeg Jazz Festival. We have asked theCo-ordinator and Directors of this project to let you know how things went this year… Greg Crowe - Coordinator, WJO Honour Jazz Bands "As coordinator for the WJO Honour Jazz Bands, I am proud to announce that another set of incredible performances were showcased at the West End Cultural Centre as part of the TD Winnipeg Jazz Festival. The WJO makes many conscious efforts to connect with its community and the young people that call it their home. The Honour Jazz Band event is one that brings young musicians together from around the province to engage in a collective effort to study advanced repertoire, expand their skill set and learn from one another. Under the guidance of educators Joel Green (WJO), Karl Kohut (U of M), Andrew Littleford (WJO), Alexis Silver (WJO, Sisler High School), Dan Steinhilber (Transcona Collegiate), Jeni Taylor (WJO) and Lauren Teterenko (WJO) the students worked very hard to produce a thrilling performance. It is with sincere excitement that I look forward to the future of this gathering and have great hopes that more and more young musicians will aim to take part." Jeni Taylor - Junior Honour Jazz Band Director "The junior band broke the ice with a jazz party (moving through the room, having solo ‘conversations’). Every student played a solo in rehearsal, and 12 played solos on the concert. It is inspiring that they were able to achieve that level of comfort and safety that quickly, and exciting to see how their jazz vocabulary will expand as they continue to work on their improvisational skills. They did a great job with the repertoire, and were justifiably impressed by the older students in the intermediate and senior bands. Hopefully they will each go back to their schools inspired to share the jazz gospel with their whole band program!!" Alexis Silver - Intermediate Honour Jazz Band Director "It is inspiring to see how quickly these young musicians come together as a community of learners. We begin the first rehearsal not knowing one another and never having played together as an ensemble before. The next thing you know, we are performing an amazing concert on stage for Jazz Fest and have made friends to last a lifetime." Dan Steinhilber - Senior Honour Jazz Band Director “The Senior Jazz Band students came to rehearsal prepared to eagerly tackle their repertoire. Rehearsals alternated between intense focus and laughter, and it was gratifying to see the relationships formed throughout the rehearsal and performance process. Many of the students traded contact information and several were talking about creating new bands together as our time wrapped up after the concert. This program has given our students the gift of life-long friends and music at the same time!”  We cherish these programs we have the gift of running and would like to thank you, our supporters, as well as the parents of these fabulous young musicians and Jazz Winnipeg for hosting the final concert.
Watch the final performances of each group: Junior, Intermediate, Senior |
Winnipeg Jazz OrchestraThe Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra (WJO) is Canada’s first community-based, non-profit professional jazz orchestra. Founded in 1997 (registered charity in 2000), the WJO has matured to become an important part of Winnipeg’s cultural landscape, reflected in the ongoing support the organization receives from the Manitoba Arts Council, the Winnipeg Arts Council, the Winnipeg Foundation, and other sponsors. The mandate of the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra is to be an instrumental force in the promotion and development of big band jazz in Manitoba and beyond, through performance, composition, recording and education. Archives
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The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra is Generously Funded by:
Funding assistance provided by the Manitoba government. Aide financière accordée par le gouvernement du Manitoba.
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We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
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Education Sponsors: |
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The Play-Along App project is supported by the Government of Canada’s Healthy Communities Initiative.
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Concert Sponsors:
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Radio Sponsors
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Special Event Supporters
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Supporters
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The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra welcomes and shares its performance and creation of music - a universal language to all people irrespective of culture, race, sexuality, ability, language and gender.
Music is an agent of hope. A dynamic and valuable device that helps us to heal and to bring us together. The First Peoples of Canada understood this and used music to reunite, resolve and reconcile. In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that WJO activities take place on Treaty Territory – land that was maintained and earnestly cared for by Indigenous peoples before European settlement. Manitoba is the original lands of Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and is the homeland of the Métis Nation. We acknowledge that Winnipeg benefits daily from Treaty 3 water that comes from Shoal Lake 40. It is with sincere sentiment that we recognize the mistakes of our recent and distant past. In working towards a Canada that benefits us all, we commit to seeking a greater understanding of Canada’s diverse cultural relationships through continued work with Indigenous communities; we commit to live in ways that honour and respect the treaties that were made on these territories; and we commit to stewarding the land in harmony for all who will come after us.
- Please refrain from wearing any fragrances or scented products as other patrons are allergic to them.
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- Please do not attend if you do not feel well. Call the box office at 204-632-5299 to arrange to go to another concert.
- Your likeness may be captured at this event. Attending this event implies your permission for your image to be used in marketing or promotional purposes.
- Please do not attend if you do not feel well. Call the box office at 204-632-5299 to arrange to go to another concert.
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra / Box 68114, RPO Osborne Village, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3L 2V9
Main: 204-421-9398 / [email protected] Box Office: 204-632-5299 / [email protected]
Main: 204-421-9398 / [email protected] Box Office: 204-632-5299 / [email protected]