The Flynn is thrilled to welcome Michael Mwenso, leader of the captivating band Mwenso & The Shakes and co-founder of Electric Root, as the curator for the 2022 Burlington Discover Jazz Festival. This year marks the 39th anniversary of the festival, one of the biggest and most beloved annual events in Vermont. Events take place all over Downtown Burlington from June 3-12.
“Through our visits to Burlington, in the warmth and the frigid, we have fallen in love with the community and their spirit of inclusive freedom and resonate joy,” said Michael Mwenso. “My creative partner, Jono Gasparro, and I are elated to have the opportunity to share the ancestral gifts that this music brings to people: healing, empowerment, and uplift. After a long, difficult two years, we look forward to this 10-day celebration of coming together!”
Michael Mwenso was born in Sierra Leone and began singing and playing trombone after he moved to London as a young child. His band Mwenso & The Shakes performed at Burlington Discover Jazz Festival in 2016 and 2017. Michael is a sought-after cultural curator as well as a master at distributing the spiritual nutrition inherent in Black music with Electric Root, the mission-driven company he co-leads with Jono Gasparro. After his celebrated work at Ronnie Scott’s, a world-renowned jazz and blues club in London, Michael was invited by Wynton Marsalis to join the programming team at Jazz at Lincoln Center, where he built the after-hours program at Dizzy’s Club.
The Flynn will start announcing marquee festival shows in March. Become a member today and get early access to tickets and other jazz festival benefits. The full festival lineup will be announced in April.
To follow news about the 2022 Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, visit flynnvt.org/Community/Burlington-Discover-Jazz-Festival.
Burlington Discover Jazz Festival is a program of the Flynn, produced in association with Burlington City Arts, and is presented by New England Federal Credit Union.
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