Herbie Hancock, Sons of Kemet and Squarepusher for 75th Edinburgh International Festival 2022
Wednesday, July 13, 2022
The Scottish capital will be buzzing with some of the biggest names in jazz and contemporary music throughout August
From the 5 to 28 August 2022, the Edinburgh International Festival celebrates its 75th anniversary, and 75 years of bringing the world’s most exciting artists to the Scottish capital. From pioneers of jazz and electronic dance to blockbuster hip-hop and indie rock stars, the line-up celebrates the diversity of artists from Scotland and around the world.
Audiences will experience 15 performances featuring an array of international performers across 7 countries, from Scotland to Pakistan and Romania to Cuba. This year marks a return to the historic Leith Theatre for the first time since 2019, alongside a special one-off performance at the Edinburgh Playhouse.
Among the highlights are legendary jazz pianist and 14-time Grammy Award winner Herbie Hancock, who returns to Scotland for the first time in over 17 years for a special one-off performance at the Edinburgh Playhouse. His genre-transcending set of jazz-funk-fusion, accompanied by an ensemble with a powerhouse band of heavyweight players showcases his rich back catalogue from his six-decade long career.
After sell-out shows at the Royal Albert Hall and Sydney Opera House, The Cinematic Orchestra announce their first live performance of 2022 at the iconic Leith Theatre. Virtuoso bass guitarist and genre-smashing electronic producer Squarepusher (aka Tom Jenkinson) performs a special live show on the 25th anniversary year of his heavily jazz-influenced debut album, Feed Me Weird Things. His set also includes the first Scottish performance of tracks from his danceable analogue-synth fuelled 2020 release, Be Up A Hello. Fellow electronic musician and composer, known in the techno world as “The Wizard,” Jeff Mills makes his International Festival debut with his latest project Tomorrow Comes The Harvest, featuring Jean-Phi Dary and Indo-French tabla maestro Prabhu Edouard, showcasing a musical career which has crossed artistic boundaries from sci-fi inspired techno to classical collaboration.
Mercury Prize shortlisted artist Kae Tempest returns to Leith Theatre for the first time since their debut in 2019, with a set fuelled by resilience and acceptance following the release of their fourth album The Line Is A Curve in April. Saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, who appeared in the 2021 Festival with The Comet is Coming, returns to Edinburgh with Mercury Prize nominees Sons of Kemet their final ever UK performance before their announced split.
French-Cuban duo Naomi and Lisa-Kaindé Diaz of Ibeyi craft a fusion of R&B and art pop deeply rooted in the traditions of Cuba, performing tracks from their newest studio album Spell 31. The programme also includes 2022 Grammy Award winner Arooj Aftab, the first Pakistani person to win a Grammy, is a rising star who combines traditional Sufi poetry with genre blending musical soundscapes.
Traditional music returns to the International Festival with performances in Leith Theatre. Romanian folk supergroup Taraf De Caliu opens the Leith Theatre series with their authentic folk jams, led by violinist Gheorghe “Caliu” Anghel and other members of the veritable Taraf de Haïdouks. Irish collective Martin Hayes & The Common Ground Ensemble explores a Celtic sound through the award-winning fiddle playing of Martin Hayes. The explosive Niteworks: Comann closes out the International Festival Leith Theatre series with their unique fusion of traditional and electronic sound in a special show celebrating community in the Gaelic music scene, with Sian, Beth Malcolm and members of Kinnaris Quintet.
For full line-up details and tickets visit www.eif.co.uk/whats-on/category/contemporary-music