Peter Somuah first discovered the trumpet in Accra, Ghana, where he was born. There, he listened to afrobeat, highlife and well-known names such as Ebo Taylor and Hugh Masekela, as well as discovering Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard and Roy Hargrove sometime later. His journey through the jazz landscape continued when he switched locations to Rotterdam. All this comes together in his playing, which is rhythmic, as well as warm and melancholic. Somuah himself calls it ‘Highlife jazz’: a combination of jazz, funk, soul and Ghanaian music, with occasional hints of electronic music. Free improvisation is also part of his expressive sound. This Rotterdam jazz giant in the making was already at the festival in 2022; the year in which he won an Edison Jazz Award. This year, he will be accompanied by his regular band, the Peter Somuah Group.
