ASTANA – Residents and visitors to Astana were treated to music by some of the best international jazz bands during this year’s Astana Day celebrations.
Iceland’s Mezzoforte and British band Level 42 played on the city’s Congress Hall stage as part of the annual events celebrating Astana as Kazakhstan’s capital.
The bands lent the celebrations a jazz-funk vibe, which could be felt throughout the Congress Hall venue. The stage was filled with shiny musical instruments and the large sign with the name of the event provided a groovy backdrop.
The doors opened at 5 p.m. on July 7 for the musical event, which began with an introduction by Sagnai Abdullin, a famed Kazakh musician and showman.
Mezzoforte, who have been creating their unique sound since the 1970s, connected well with the Kazakh audience, even without lyrics. An hour of rhythmic tunes of the saxophone and guitars needed no translations.
As the stage crew prepared the stage for the second half of the performance, the host introduced Level 42. Crowds who travelled from around the country to see their idols could be heard cheering and whistling in anticipation. Level 42 frontman Mark King had made a video inviting the Kazakh public to come hear their music.
