American jazz legend Wynton Marsalis touched down in Nigeria on Saturday, ahead of his headline performance at the highly anticipated 2025 Runway Jazz Festival in Lagos.
This year’s edition, themed “The Timeless Return,” promises a powerful blend of world-class jazz, Nigerian runway fashion, and vibrant cultural showcases.
The nine-time Grammy Award winner and Pulitzer Prize laureate will lead the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in Sunday’s grand finale concert at the Landmark Centre, Lagos. His appearance, in collaboration with the U.S. Mission in Nigeria, elevates the festival to an international stage while strengthening ties through music and cultural exchange.
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Beyond Marsalis and his orchestra, the festival will spotlight top Nigerian talents such as Made Kuti, Yinka Davies, and Timi Dakolo.
Marsalis is revered not only for his extraordinary trumpet mastery but also for his achievements as a composer, bandleader, and educator. He remains the only musician to have won both jazz and classical Grammys in the same year twice.
His groundbreaking 1997 Pulitzer Prize-winning oratorio, Blood on the Fields, which explored the history of slavery, was the first jazz composition to ever receive the honor.
Reflecting on his long-awaited visit, Marsalis said he had “always wanted to be here,” signaling the depth of his excitement for this cultural encounter.