In a groundbreaking moment for Ghana’s cultural calendar and Africa’s jazz heritage, Wynton Marsalis and the world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) arrived in Accra on Wednesday for a historic visit from October 8–12, 2025.
The visit, deeply rooted in both musical excellence and cultural exchange, is seen as a high point in the Black Star Experience and a significant marker in Africa’s place in global jazz history.
Marsalis, a towering figure in music with nine GRAMMY Awards, over forty honorary degrees, and the distinction of being the first jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize, will lead the orchestra in a series of workshops and two live performances at the iconic +233 Jazz Bar & Grill on October 10 and 11.
Addressing media at an exclusive press engagement hosted by the Ghana Jazz Foundation and JLCO, Marsalis expressed heartfelt emotion about the return to Ghana, a country he has deep spiritual and artistic ties to.
Reflecting on his mentor, the late Ghanaian master drummer Yacub Addy, Marsalis said: “It’s special to me because of the master Yacub Addy. I studied with him for 10 years. I learned from him, I played with his family… The piece we’re playing is something we composed together. Jazz musicians have always been drawn to Ghana — the great Jackie McLean even wrote Appointment in Ghana back in the ’60s.”
