Balimaya Project have been awarded a British Arts International Collaboration grant, facilitated by Jazz Refreshed and Discos Pacifico, to go to Colombia and collaborate with the ‘Discos Pacificos Allstars’!

‘Facilitated by UK Jazz stalwarts Jazz re:freshed and the prolific Colombia based Llorona Records, Balimaya Project Meets the Discos Pacifico Allstars is a musical exchange blending West African, Afro-Colombian and African-descendant cultures, represented through jazz. Balimaya Project, rooted in Mandé Jazz, incorporates the often overlooked idioms of Mandé folklore alongside other West African traditions. The Discos Pacifico All Stars, featuring members from Colombian Pacific coast folkloric groups like Bejuco and Agrupación Changó, focus on Afro-Colombian traditions, particularly marimba music. This collaboration forms a supergroup of over 15 musicians. They will travel between nations to explore the cultural connections between instruments like the djembe, balafon, marimba and cununo in the context of their respective traditions and modern contexts. The project examines how land and material shape the sound and innovations of African diasporic music. It offers Colombian musicians broader exposure while providing London artists with an archival journey. Culminating in live performances in both Bogota and London, together they will compose, workshop and record new music, highlighting the journey of West African folkloric music to South America and Europe’