EFG London Jazz Festival: Soweto Kinch – Trilogy

The saxophonist, rapper and composer Soweto Kinch revisits the trilogy of works he has created with the LSO since 2019, with music from The Black Peril, White Juju and Soundtrack to the Apocalypse.

Each work was inspired by a panoply of events, from commemorating the race riots of 1919 to the intensely fought culture wars in 2020 and lockdown, and the emergence of an apocalyptic, post-truth world. Covering the past, present and future they break beyond the boundaries of genre to explore these resonant themes. The layered storytelling, lyricism and musicality deliberately upends conventions – its often challenging messages are even more salient today.

In Soweto’s words, ‘I’ve been on an intense journey, playing with and subverting tropes, gaining confidence in my own compositional voice but also discovering new approaches to storytelling with each commission.’ The results are this mix of cerebral and guttural, danceable creations – multi-platform works which should ‘assail the senses, but enrich the soul’.

Please note that this performance will be accompanied by visuals, with reference to slavery, racism, military conflict, political rallies, protests, riots and police action – including images of the Ku Klux Klan and footage containing violence – which some audience members may find upsetting.