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Concert on 27 September 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-diaspora and African musicians in a collective project. Along with Akintaya, the core of the group includes Gugulethu Duma (South Africa, vocals and electronics), Cassie Kinoshi (UK, saxophone and electronics), and Tagara Mhizha (UK, bass and electronics).
The ensemble understands music as a spiritual task. Central to the concept of "yarning" inspired by Aboriginal Australian traditions, in which storytelling is lived as a practice of belonging, rhythm, and improvisation. The Yarns' musical language moves between overlapping soundscapes, characterized by listening, interplay, and improvisation—sometimes gritty, sometimes radiant, then earthy or expansive.
" At its core, jazz is community music. A spiritual language of the homeless finding a home—together ," is how drummer Adeolu describes it.
The 2025 Jazz Forum "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.
