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The concert on September 27th combines jazz with spiritual soundscapes
Darmstadt. As part of the 19th Darmstadt Jazz Forum (September 24–28, 2025), The Yarns Ensemble perform at the Bessunger Knabenschule on Saturday, September 27, at 8 p.m.
Founded by Berlin-based drummer and composer Lukas Akintaya aka Adeolu , the ensemble unites Afro-diasporic and African musicians in a collective project. Besides Akintaya, the core of the group includes Gugulethu Duma (South Africa, vocals and electronics), Cassie Kinoshi (Great Britain, saxophone and electronics), and Tagara Mhizha (Great Britain, bass and electronics).
The ensemble understands music as a spiritual endeavor. Central to their approach is the concept of "Yarning ," inspired by the traditions of Australian Aboriginal people, in which storytelling is lived as a practice of belonging, rhythm, and improvisation. Yarns' musical language moves between overlapping soundscapes, characterized by listening, interplay, and improvisation – sometimes gritty, sometimes radiant, then again earthy or expansive.
“ Jazz is, at its core, communal music. A spiritual language of the homeless who find a home – together ,” is how drummer Adeolu describes it.
The Jazz Forum 2025 “Universal Consciousness” is dedicated to the artistic and spiritual exploration of jazz – both from a historical perspective and in a contemporary context. It is organized by the Jazz Institute Darmstadt in cooperation with the Bessunger Knabenschule (Bessunger Boys' School).
