THIS THURSDAY (20.APRIL): XJAZZ! GOES DUSSMANN

XJAZZ! goes Dussmann: The organizers preview the exciting XJAZZ! Festival 2023 with a concert on April 20th

START: 19H
AT DUSSMANN

From May 8th to 14th the XJAZZ! FESTIVAL 2023 will take place again in the heart of Berlin, Kreuzberg. But before that, we can look forward to a special appetizer: in collaboration with the KulturKaufhaus Dussmann, XJAZZ! will offer a pre-concert on April 20th, taking place on the culture stage of the KulturKaufhaus. The audience will get a glimpse of the festival program, which will be represented on the evening with three exciting acts:

First up is Milad Khawam - a trumpeter, duduk player and composer. He comes from Damascus, where he studied classical and Arabic music, and now lives in Berlin. Khawam has played as principal trumpeter in numerous orchestras between Europe and the Middle East. He also produces electro-acoustic music and has been involved in concerts across Europe, combining classical and electronic music in a unique and innovative approach to trumpet-playing.

In addition, Sera Kalo will be on stage as part of a trio on April 20th - the singer-songwriter, who is also based in Berlin, is of Caribbean-American descent. Whilst a seemingly quiet and reserved character, her music, on the other hand, serves as a powerful expression of her unfiltered thoughts and untamed energy. But it's fundamentally a reflection on who she is, and Sera Kalo uses it to explore and express the different nuances of her origins.

Last but not least, the Ray Duo, consisting of Sebastian Studnitzky & Andrei Pokaz, encompass the passion and desire for the whole range of XJAZZ!. The duo was formed during the festival last year – Sebastian Studnitzky, online at the time, played in a "distant duo" together with the Ukrainian jazz pianist Andrei Pokaz and recorded everything. Sebastian Studnitzky is known to be the founder of XJAZZ! and has always been a traveller between the realms of jazz, classical and electronic music. He is internationally recognized as a performer and enthrals audiences with his extraordinary trumpet and piano playing. Few instrumentalists of his generation have performed on so many stages and festivals around the world. Andrei Pokaz is renowned for his swiftness in playing the piano. He thrives within the controlled disorder and his melodies are reminiscent of sunbeams penetrating the leaves in the forest. He offers stomping, demanding rhythms which create an unbridled dynamic atmosphere -  for hopping, for top steps, turns and rollovers - guiding listeners to a dimension which is free and unconstrained. Together with Studnitzky's experienced playing, his energy helps architect a space in which both musicians can fully develop.