What does the connection between West African afrobeat and traditional Japanese festival music sound like? Experience it for yourself when the ten-piece collective Ajate takes the stage this summer with their catchy, heartwarming fusion universe, infectious joy of playing, and an impressive arsenal of handcrafted bamboo instruments. We dare to promise a spectacular jazz festival finale!

“A truly hybrid delight” – Songlines

The fusion collective Ajate was formed when musician Junichiro “John” Imaeda, during a stay in West Africa in the late 2000s, discovered striking parallels between Ghana’s pulsating afrobeat and Japanese Ohayashi – the music played at traditional ancestral festivals. Returning to Japan in 2009, he assembled a ten-member ensemble that has since explored and refined this unexpected yet deeply natural meeting of two musical worlds. On the surface, the sound is festive and immediate, but beneath lies a fascinating connection between two geographically distant traditions.

The result is an intense and vibrant sound where hypnotic drums, flutes, and bells merge with Imaeda’s own handcrafted bamboo instruments. The electrified xylophone “Jaate” and the string instrument “Piechiku” add a simultaneously organic and futuristic edge, while energetic call-and-response vocals lift the music into a state of collective euphoria. Ajate’s music revolves around community, connection, and joy of life—something that is felt viscerally in their explosive live performances. The band has performed at some of Japan’s biggest festivals and made their mark internationally on stages such as WOMAD, Transmusicales de Rennes, and Jazz à Vienne. With their latest album Dala Toni, they are ready to bring Copenhagen Jazz Festival to a euphoric close when they take over ALICE this July.

The concert is part of Copenhagen Jazz Festival 2026, taking place from July 3 to July 12 across more than 120 venues throughout the city. See the full program at www.jazz.dk