Gent Jazz outdoes itself yearly by curating a rock-solid lineup at Bijlokehof in Ghent. This year is no exception! Afrofuturistic titans Herbie Hancock and Kamasi Washington, Massive Attack, Norah Jones, and Belgium's new jazz talents, among many others, will impose a new gravitational pull on anyone close by! The festival is happening from 04.07 until 19.07.2025, and we are impatiently dreaming ahead with our five favourite acts.
Lander & Adriaan
Inspired by their love for ’90s rave music, Lander Gyselinck and Adriaan Van de Velde have been carving out their place in the Belgian music scene for years. They’re known for inducing an uncontrollable need to dance while jamming together as a duo in a boiler room setting. We don’t know a single person who has seen them live and hasn’t immediately started searching for tickets to their next show. Infectiously fun!
<iframe width="100%" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QZUg77E5hGY?si=2-T-ZW3ISq1VDIUO" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Kamasi Washington
Kamasi Washington is a true force of nature, mixing jazz with funk, soul, hip-hop, and world music. His breakthrough album The Epic redefined the entire genre of Afrofuturism as a revolutionary jazz opera. Collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Flying Lotus, and Herbie Hancock showcase his broad influence and gravitas as an artist. Transforming jazz into a powerful social and spiritual experience for an international audience, Kamasi Washington is at the height of his enormous career!
<iframe width="100%" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x8WTPgeVPjg?si=QT7iyOQoqWTUOdE4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Helena Casella
Helena Casella is a young, talented Belgian-Brazilian composer and vocalist based in Ghent who explores genres such as modern jazz, Brazilian sounds, and neo-soul, among others. She blends these genres to vocalise her harmonic thoughts and project rhythmic familiarity onto her audience. Helena emphasises her music by minimising digital additions, channelling a raw, organic sound like no other.
<iframe width="100%" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Swr2iTbwaKA?si=5Mm3e0bhW03kb9nw" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Adja
In the Spring of 2025, Adja releases her debut album Golden Retrieve Her, co-written with guitarist Alexis Nootens, exploring capitalism’s impact on intimacy. With influences of theatre, jazz, R&B, and soul, her rich, organic sound draws comparisons to Erykah Badu and Lianne La Havas. Singles like ‘A Moment’ and ‘Sucking on My Emphatitties’, prove that Adja more than deserves her Gent Jazz slot and is here to stay!
<iframe width="100%" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qcBHg191-bs?si=fx4-WureGZdE2kTQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Abel Ghekiere
Abel Ghekiere is another young Belgian wolf and multi-instrumentalist whose sound blends minimalist jazz, traditional folk, and field recordings. His debut album, Voor het verdwijnt, en daarna, explores themes of sadness and loss, offering comfort through its delicate compositions. On his latest album, he embraces a more open, soft, and euphoric approach, inspired by artists like Nils Økland and Sufjan Stevens. A guitarist at heart, he also plays the clarinet and banjo, performing live with his quartet alongside Tobias Volckaert (sax), Orlan Ghekiere (drums), and Hendrike Scharmann (violin).
<iframe width="100%" height="543" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jBWE-HY27_E?si=uvQVXJRsLLMPISuy" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<div class="editorial-banner"> <div class=“editorial-credits”>@gentjazz<br>coverphoto: Helena Casella & Adja by Fred Debrock</div></div>
Different Class works with the interest of their community at heart.
Our work’s purpose is to foster a solid network for independent artists, those who love them, and those who want to support them. Become a member to contribute to the local Belgian art scene.
Our membership
