Jazz band prepares for Cuban festival performance

It's a big week for a Birmingham-based jazz band as its members prepare to perform at a festival in Cuba.

Musicians Kate Luxmoore, Lekan Babalola, Tom Marsh and Jon Escoto Brown form the Sacred Funk Quartet which was founded more than 20 years ago.

Being invited to perform at Havana International Jazz Festival on Thursday and Friday is a chance to share their music with different cultures, the band said.

"This festival is really well-respected and it's not often you get an opportunity like this, it's a big deal for us," said Luxmoore.

Havana Jazz Festival was founded in 1979 by Cuban musicians and featured more than 100 performances last year.

Grammy award-winner and organiser of the event Chucho Valdés described the vibe of the music at the event as "if it ain't got that swing, it ain't Havana".

Luxmoore will be returning to Havana after more than two decades and said she could not wait to connect with other musicians.

"That's the joy and excitement in it, it means potential new collaborations and it will take us down an interesting road," she said.

The festival means the band can "connect globally with others through music", Luxmoore added, which was a "fantastic feeling".

Babalola said that travelling to Cuba would give the band an opportunity to see people who "live the same lifestyle using the same music".

The band received funding from charitable funder PRS Foundation for the trip but did not secure enough for Marsh to attend.

He said that while it was disappointing, he would be cheering them on from Birmingham.

"I'm really wishing them all the best for this festival, it's so exciting, the opportunities this will give the band is unmatched," he said.

The band has set up a JustGiving page to raise funds to cover accommodation and transport.

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