Amina Figarova Sextet with Matsiko World Orphan Choir Liberia
Amina Figarova: Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | Spotify
Matsiko World Orphan Choir : Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | Spotify
Special Guests: Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus and Tucson Girls Chorus
Presented by: HSL Properties Tucson Jazz Festival and La Rosa
Pianist and composer Amina Figarova brings one of her most ambitious and deeply human works to La Rosa with Suite for Africa, joining her acclaimed sextet with the Matsiko World Orphan Choir Liberia and special guests the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus and Tucson Girls Chorus. Born in Azerbaijan and now based in New York, Figarova has built an international reputation as a composer and bandleader whose music blends contemporary jazz with global traditions, and her sextet has appeared at major festivals including Newport and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Suite for Africa grew from Figarova’s desire to bring children’s voices into the center of a jazz composition. The project ultimately found its voice through the 24-member Matsiko choir from Liberia, whose performances carry a message of hope through education and have taken the ensemble across the United States. Figarova’s richly arranged sextet moves beneath and around those voices with warmth, swing, and improvisational freedom, creating music that feels expansive without losing its intimacy.
For this Tucson performance, the collaboration expands again as the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus and Tucson Girls Chorus join the stage. Founded in 1939, the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus has spent generations developing young singers through choral performance, leadership, and community service, while the Tucson Girls Chorus has nearly four decades of work centered on musical excellence, confidence, belonging, and the belief that every young voice matters.
The result is more than a meeting of jazz and choral music. It is a rare convergence of international artistry, young voices from Liberia, and Tucson’s own choral traditions—a performance built on rhythm, community, and the belief that music can connect people across cultures and generations.
“A radiant life-affirming work.”
— The New York Times
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16+ // under 16 must be accompanied by parent or legal guardian
* This is a seated show. *
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