Ezra Collective, Nubya Garcia and more light up Wild Fields Fest

On a week that featured major UK festivals like Green Man and All Points East, a comparatively intimate festival in Norwich was always doomed to slip beneath the radar. But Wild Fields, with its family-friendly set-up and socially conscious ethos, deserves much more. Indeed it's that smaller scale – there are only two stages, one of which is the touring Climate Live Bus – that allows artists who might not be considered headliners, to take centre stage. That approach has produced a refreshingly jazz and soul-centric lineup for Wild Fields this year. 

UK neo-soul artists Yasmin Lacy and Nectar Woods ease audiences into the festival’s summery, laid-back vibe. But soul music’s contemporary syncretism is swiftly replaced with perhaps the most faithful retro-soul performer out there. Jalen Ngonda, clad in a vintage wide-collar shirt and high-waisted trousers, serenades audiences with his staggering, note-perfect alto. Even his on-stage presence is retro, carrying that sense of total ease and self-assuredness that made the likes of Sam Cooke such absorbing performers. Though some listeners may question a sound that is so heavily referential, it’s hard to protest when it sounds so sweet.

Saxophonist Nubya Garcia, gearing up for the release of her new album, Odyssey, is a characteristically brilliant addition, showcasing the vibrant dynamism of the London jazz scene. Throughout her breezy, danceable set there are traces of dub and reggae, cumbia and afrobeat, all tied together by Garcia’s remarkable command of her tenor.

As the day progresses, the mood shifts in a slightly more fiery direction. Zambian rapper Sampa the Great, surrounded by four captivating dancers, growls her way through an electrifying setlist of Afro-centric hip-hop. The crowd erupts during her performance of the bombastic, self-affirming hit “Final Form”. “Young veteran, new classic” she raps. The audience clearly agrees, greeting her with a rapturous reception when she returns for a track with Ezra Collective later. 

Sampa the Great’s set provides the ideal warmup for the headline act of Friday. As the sun sets, London-based quintet Ezra Collective takes the stage, encouraging audiences to join them on an odyssey of infectious, propulsive afrobeat jazz. The screens flanking the stage are illuminated in pan-African colours: “The Ezra Collective is Dancing with Wild Fields”.  This is not simply party music, however. Throughout the night, Femi Koleoso, the group’s drummer and bandleader, is keen to stress the political dimensions of their work, particularly in the aftermath of far-right riots across the UK. For the EZ (as they are otherwise known), music and its capacity to foster communal joy is a radical, unifying force. That philosophy of political activism through dance music recalls a certain icon of Afrobeat. Fela Kuti, whose classic “Water No Get Enemy” is covered beautifully here, hovers behind Ezra Collective’s live ethos. Though the group’s studio work is highly produced and perhaps lacks the raw immediacy of Fela’s recordings, the EZ’s live act is a different story. Indeed, this is music that needs to be heard through loudspeakers, amidst a sea of dancing bodies. 

The group doesn’t rely solely on Afrobeat for that danceable pulse. At one point, Koleoso implores his audience to imagine they’re in Sao Paolo, dancing to explosive salsa rhythms. Later, he teases towards an overarching concept for the live show, journeying from West Africa down through the continent’s various popular styles. It’s joyous, politically-charged music and a testament to the power that dance music, in all its varied forms, can hold. Though the fairly intimate Wild Fields is a perfect headline gig for the group, the EZ could close out any festival in style. 

Friday at Wild Fields is an understated triumph, well-organised, highly accessible, and perfect for a wide range of audiences. It’s also a refreshingly jazz-centric lineup, a reminder of the vibrant state of the UK’s scene.