Cadenza has been a big name in Nepali music since their Jazz at Patan cd established a whole new sound for local music. Now the pioneers of local jazz improvisation are going global with a gig at the prestigious Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival.

Established in 1967, the festival at the University of Idaho is one of the biggest jazz events in the world. With past performers including giants such as Ella Fitzgerald, Bobby McFerrin and Sarah Vaughn, Cadenza know they have to pull out all the stops to shine in this concert. "It's huge," says front man Navin Chettri, unable to hide the excitement in his voice, "almost the equivalent to the Olympics for jazz musicians".

The band will perform in two separate shows-on 21 February for the festival for school children and on 22 February at International Night. Chettri says Cadenza is probably the first outfit from South Asia to play at the world-renowned festival, and will set its performance standards high. "Till now, Jazz at Patan has done well so we hope it will have the same magic out there. The biggest thing is to expose people to nep jazz. There have been different styles of jazz but none with our original twist on it." The band has been promised free food and lodging and also has support from the Nepal Tourism Board but is still running low on funds. So with a little help from their friends, a fundraiser, Cadenza and Friends Live in Concert, will take place on 26 January, 5.30 PM, at the Radisson Hotel. Tickets are Rs 800.

Aarti Basnyat