To feature NY-based violinist ‘Maestro Kaiso’

SSIGNAL Productions, led by leading Guyanese musicians Bonny Alves and his wife Charmaine Blackman-Alves, is all set to produce its 11th edition of the Emancipation Jazz and Soul Concert next month.

The show started in 2013 at Umana Yana and was held at various venues; this time though, it will be held right back where it started on Sunday, August 4.

Mr. Alves in an interview with the Buzz said that, after observing the decline of jazz music for a number of years, he wanted to do something to rejuvenate the interest in the polyrhythms and blues.

“At one time, it was very popular,” he reflected, adding, “Side Walk Café did a good job keeping it going for a number of years. But then that died too and I always wanted to resuscitate jazz music.”

He decided, hosting an annual concert was the best way to keep the jazz melodies swinging and the best time would be in celebration of Emancipation where afro-Guyanese artistes would be allowed the stage to share their talents.

It is anticipated that the concert will see about 500 patrons and according to Mr. Alves many are looking forward to this year’s event as there has not been much jazz activity happening in the country.

This year, he said the show will be different in that it will feature a violinist.

“He is very good and a violinist playing jazz music….it would be a treat to come and hear him play.”

The violinist, who is from the USA with Guyanese roots, is Devon Webster, better known by his stage name Maestro Kaiso, a multidisciplinary artiste from Brooklyn, New York. Raised by Guyanese immigrant parents, Devon was actively supported along his musical journey.

At the age of six, he was enrolled in piano lessons after demonstrating a natural aptitude for music and being able to play by ear. Devon would go on to learn the violin and play in his high school orchestra.

It was during this time that he earned a scholarship to take private lessons at the Bloomingdale School of Music in Manhattan. Starting in 2012, during his time at Brooklyn College, Devon would begin taking work performing at private events.

In 2016, wanting to expand as a professional musician and create more opportunities to build his network, Devon began to freelance and perform in the subways around New York City. He continues to do so, having been featured as one of New York’s prominent street performers on the Kelly Clarkson show in 2023. Outside of street performing, Devon still primarily plays at private events and is embarking on a new journey to compose music for video games and film scores.