Michael Mwenso, irresistible talent discovered by Wynton Marsalis, winner of an Emmy Award in 2022 and charismatic leader of The Shakes, arrives in Italy for 4 dates, from 28 to 31 December, with the “A soulful Christmas” tour, as part of the ‘Umbria Jazz Winter.

Together, Mwenso and the Shakes form a group (even before a band) of global artists whose music seeks to combine high levels of entertainment and art. Theirs is a genre in which jazz and blues converge in their African and Afro-American roots. Among the models, Fats Waller, Muddy Waters, James Brown and many other American musical icons.

New York is their home now, but they come from all over the world: Sierra Leone, London, South Africa, Greenwich Village, Madagascar, France, Jamaica, Hawaii.

The result is a show that the New York Times called “intense, prowling, and ebullient”. A show that encourages the audience to dance and participate. It is live that this blend of creative energy, timbral refinement and rhythmic solidity works best. “Emergence”, their debut album, is not surprisingly a live album. Musically, the band protects the tradition of African-American music, from Louis Armstrong onwards, but feels free to move the boundaries forward,