BRIC JAZZFEST
MUSIC FESTIVAL
BRIC JAZZFEST 2025: WHERE JAZZ BECOMES A GLOBAL CONVERSATION
This weekend, BRIC JazzFest 2025 takes over Brooklyn with two nights of fearless creativity, turning BRIC House into a crossroads of sound, culture, and community. Under the guest curation of composer and producer Adrian Younge, this year’s edition expands jazz’s boundaries—inviting voices from Morocco, South Africa, Cuba, Ethiopia, the UK, and the U.S. to share one stage. It’s not just a festival; it’s a statement on how jazz keeps evolving, traveling, and speaking new languages without losing its soul.
BROOKLYN, TMN Editorial
Younge’s vision is both rooted and radical. Known for his analog recording ethos and collaborations with artists across continents, he’s curating a lineup where rhythm and heritage meet experimentation and activism. Half of the featured ensembles are women-led—a powerful reflection of how today’s jazz scene is shifting toward equity and inclusion. At BRIC JazzFest, borders blur and rhythms migrate; jazz becomes what it’s always been at its best—a conversation between worlds.
Over two nights, October 17 and 18, audiences at 647 Fulton Street will experience a journey between legacy and discovery. Night 1 brings performances by Chief Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott), Saha Gnawa, Meklit Hadero, Vuyo Sotashe & Chris Pattishall, and Dida Pelled, culminating in a set from Younge himself. Night 2 features the legendary Dee Dee Bridgewater, alongside Nubya Garcia, Endea Owens & The Cookout, OKAN, and New Jazz Underground, before closing with an all-star JazzFest Jam led by Younge and drummer Karriem Riggins—a session that promises unexpected collaborations and spontaneous magic.
Each artist brings their own revolution. Nubya Garcia has been reshaping London’s jazz scene with cosmic compositions and global textures that weave dub, soul, and orchestral soundscapes. The Afro-Cuban duo OKAN, led by Elizabeth Rodríguez and Magdelys Savigne, merges Yoruba spirituality with contemporary jazz and folkloric fire. Endea Owens, a Juilliard-trained bassist and activist, carries jazz into classrooms and community spaces, embodying what it means to make music with purpose. And Chief Adjuah, a boundary-breaker of the trumpet, continues to stretch the genre into new sonic territories through his concept of “Stretch Music.”
Beyond the performances, the festival also amplifies ideas. The Artists in Action panel (October 17) brings together Vuyo Sotashe, Samora Pinderhughes, and Sarah K. Khan, moderated by Niama Safia Sandy, to discuss how artists respond to the social, political, and cultural urgencies of our time. It’s part of BRIC’s ongoing commitment to use art as a catalyst for reflection and change—making sure that the dialogue around jazz extends far beyond the stage.
In a world that often feels fragmented, BRIC JazzFest 2025 reminds us that jazz is still a force for connection. This year’s edition celebrates diversity not as a buzzword but as a living reality: women taking the lead, diasporic voices sharing the mic, and young creators redefining tradition. In Brooklyn’s ever-vibrant landscape, the festival stands as a reminder that the future of jazz is borderless, inclusive, and deeply human.
🎟️ You can grab your tickets and full lineup here.
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