Some of the best jazz musicians in the world have performed at Respect Festival, the top Jazz music festival in the Czech Republic. Alireza Ghorbani, Mulatu Astatke, Dudu Tassa, Tony Allen, Mory Kante, The Heliocentrics, Meta Meta, Orlando Julius, Barmer Boys, and Faiz Ali Faiz were among the festival's outstanding performers.
The event featured the Persian vocalist Alireza Ghorbani, who brought his distinctive style, and the father of Ethio-jazz Mulatu Astatke, who wowed audiences with his avant-garde combination of jazz and traditional Ethiopian rhythms. A well-known Israeli musician named Dudu Tassa performed on stage with an electric guitar and influences from the Middle East.
While Mory Kante, a Guinean singer and kora player, provided his traditional West African sound, Tony Allen, a famed Nigerian drummer, displayed his Afrobeat rhythms. The jazz-funk group The Heliocentrics, located in London, dazzled audiences with their inventive and improvisational style.
Brazilian band Meta Meta combined jazz with Afro-Brazilian rhythms and political lyrics, and Nigerian saxophonist Orlando Julius introduced his innovative Afrobeat sound to the festival. The Rajasthani folk group Barmer Boys captivated crowds with their traditional Indian sound, and Pakistani qawwali singer Faiz Ali Faiz brought his soulful and devotional songs to the stage.
Respect Festival continues to be an international showcase for diverse and avant-garde jazz music, drawing music fans and jazz enthusiasts from all over the world.