Axé World Fest & Ottawa Jazz Collab

The Ottawa Jazz Festival, in collaboration with Axé WorldFest, is presenting two incredible groups:

Axé – pronounced ah-sheh (rhymes with sashay!) – is a West African concept from the Yoruba people of Nigeria, symbolizing the power to create change, a life force, and in capoeira, “energy.” With a pioneering spirit and strong commitment to community, Axé WorldFest uplifts emerging artists, promotes cultural diversity, and uses music as a force for positivity.

7:30 PM – Kombilesa Mi (OLG Stage) – Hailing from San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia—the first free Black town in the Americas—Kombilesa Mi fuses Afro-Colombian rhythms with rap in both Spanish and the endangered creole language of Palenquero. Using ancestral percussion, handmade steel drums, and marimbula, their music is a vibrant expression of identity, resistance, and tradition. They’ve graced stages like the Kennedy Center and NPR’s Tiny Desk—now, they’ll bring their powerful sound and cultural workshops (including turban and braiding traditions) to Canada for the first time.

10:30 PM – La Pambelé (OLG Stage) – After enjoying the legendary Mavis Staples on the Main Stage at 8:30 PM, return to the OLG Stage for La Pambelé, presented in conjunction with Axé WorldFest. This genre-defying Colombian salsa dura ensemble—featuring core members of Canada’s Legaia Salsa Brava—delivers a high-energy sound inspired by 70s salsa and Afro-Antillean rhythms. With musical nods to icons like Eddie Palmieri and Ismael Miranda, their set will be a dynamic celebration of love, resistance, and cultural pride.