Nubya Garcia

Constantly pushing the boundaries of jazz, there’s a reason Nubya Garcia is hailed as one of the brightest stars on the global scene.

The multi-award-winning tenor saxophonist has blazed a distinctive trail in the recent UK jazz explosion. Championed by legendary BBC broadcaster Gilles Peterson and recognised as UK Jazz Act of the Year at the 2019 Jazz FM Awards, Garcia has since received a nomination for the prestigious Mercury Prize (2021) and regularly performs to capacity crowds at festivals such as Glastonbury, Love Supreme, Montreux and Newport Jazz Festival.

This innovative musician, producer and composer returns to MIJF following sold-out performances in 2018 to give Melbourne audiences a taste of her new album Odyssey—a majestic release on which she blends orchestral arrangements with R&B, jazz, broken beat and dub, resulting in a grand, nuanced sound that feels celestial without ever sacrificing the groove.

Opening Act: Tiana Khasi

With a voice as “venomous as it is honey-sweet” (Happy Mag), Samoan-Indian powerhouse Tiana Khasi is rewriting the rules of contemporary R&B, jazz, and soul with a flair that’s impossible to ignore.