The Jazz Yatra: India’s First Jazz Festival

Jazz has always been very popular in India. Not only has the genre shaped Bollywood by giving us many memorable songs for decades, but has also thrived in the independent sphere as well.

At the heart of all this is The Jazz Yatra, India’s first major jazz festival. Established in 1978, The Jazz yatra would play a pivotal role in giving Indians International exposure to Jazz. 

For seven days nineteen groups from eleven countries would give twenty-five concerts, all of whom would be hosted by none other legendary radio broadcaster Willis Conover, best known for Voice of America’s Jazz hour program.

The festival received extensive coverage abroad by reputed publications like the New York times, in fact Japanese magazine “Mainichi Graphic” provided a 35-page color spread on the festival.

Over the years may renowned jazz artists like Sonny Rollins, Wayne Krantz, Larry Carlton, Sadao Watanabe, Albert Mangelsdorff and Stan Getz have all performed at this prestigious festival.

Today Jazz festivals have become very common in the country, smaller acts from all over the world play frequently in jazz clubs like The Piano Man as well.

The scene is thriving with a lot of young people taking interest too, which makes the Jazz yatra not only an important part of jazz history in India, but also the world.

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