Tee Mac, Yinka Davies serenade audience at ‘Joy of Jazz’ concert in Lagos

It was a bouncy house of soul-placating instrumental and blissful harmony as Tee Mac Iseli, Nigerian flautist, treated a gathering of melody lovers to the brilliance of Jazz music on Friday.

The musicale, tagged “Joy of Jazz”, was held at the Alliance Française in Lagos, and was powered by the US consulate general in collaboration with Tee Mac Production.

The event was a delight as the trio of Tee Mac, Yinka Davies, and Wole Jestomi held the audience spellbound for over two hours alongside their talented bands.

The night kicked off with Joe Kruzich, US consulate spokesperson, taking the audience through the rich history of Jazz music.

“It is true that jazz music originated in the US but that music was heavily influenced by musical traditions from Africa and Europe. And without contributions from those music traditions or trends, Jazz music would not have been able to have the same influence all over the globe,” he said.

Then Wole Jesutomi and the Pataki Band took the stage for the first act of the evening, and his rendition was a melodic paradise as trumpet, guitar, and saxophone weaved together and foretold the silver-toned sound that the crowd would experience all through.

He made way for the sonorous and energetic Yinka Davies, who began her set with an off-the-cuff remix of Lagbaja’s ‘Never Far Away’. The Afro-Jazz queen then got the audience engaged with a plethora of music requests from the unending depth of her sonic reservoir. Davies wrapped up her performance with a remastered Victor Uwaifo’s ‘Mami Water’. The delivery was so ingenious and perfect that Koffee, the host, joked that the great Uwaifo would willingly bequeath her the song’s copyright from his grave.

Tee Mac was the final act of the night, looking regal in a white caftan with his signature instrument of the long silver flute twirling in his fingers. He shimmered as he serenaded the hall with masterpieces. The pinnacle of the evening was when Tee Mac performed ‘The City of Mer Kailash’. His delicate, skilled fingers made the flute purr suavely as the crowd tapped dreamingly along.

Tee Mac was awarded the Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) in 2009 by former President Musa Yar’adua.

He was also a former president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN).