World musicians meet in Senegal over JazzBy TAMBA JEAN-MATTHEW | Wednesday, May 23  2012 at  11:07

Dozens of internationally acclaimed jazz musicians from Africa, America and Europe are in Senegal, ahead of the 20th edition of the Saint Louis Jazz festival, which begins on May 23, 2012.

The biannual event scheduled to run through May 28, 2012 will feature a number of popular artists including Manu Dibango, the Cameroonian veteran saxophonist, Elisabeth Kontomano, the Guinean of Greece origin accompanied by her son. Also expected to perform on the same stage is the Brazilian diva Denise Reis, who is also a guitarist and composer. She is reappeaering at the event after her first appearance in 2010. Others on the programme are the American saxophonist Devin Phillips and his compatriots of the New Cool Collective; the virtuous German pianist Mike Herting and the Italian bluesman Roberto Ciotti.

Opening ceremony

Charles Aznavour, a Jazz composer renowed for his bittersweet love songs will play at the opening ceremony with back up from the Senegalese Grand National Theatre troupe.

To give it an official boost, Senegal’s minister of culture and singer, Youssou Ndour will be on the deck to introduce some of the artists and make the keynote address, minister's spokesman said.