Jazzkaar 2026 opening concert: Mingo Rajandi „Lady Sapiens” • Jazzkaar 2026

Jazzkaar 2026 Opens with Music That Dares to Ask Questions and Take Risks

Lady Sapiens explores the role of women and the concept of femininity across history, challenging contemporary binary thinking. Inspired by the provocative book Lady Sapiens by archaeologists Thomas Cirotteau, Jennifer Kerner, and Eric Pincas, Rajandi portrays women in roles from which male-centred history has largely excluded them – as hunters, creators, leaders, bearers of knowledge, and innovators. Lady Sapiens advocates a worldview in which women’s voices are heard, authoritative, and multifaceted. Here, femininity is not presented as a norm, but as freedom – the right to define one’s identity through personal experience and creative expression.

Originally written for three double basses and serpent, Lady Sapiens is a co-production by Jazzkaar, the Belgian concert organiser HA Concerts, and the UK festival hcmf. The work received its world premiere last year, on 15 November in Ghent and on 23 November in Huddersfield. At Jazzkaar’s opening concert, however, the piece will be heard in a new sonic form – performed by two double basses, cello, and violin. This change in instrumentation is not merely formal; it opens up a new perspective on the work. Lady Sapiens lives and evolves with each performance, reflecting the inherent ability of both jazz and contemporary music to develop over time, adapt, and discover new modes of expression – much like the roles of women throughout history. For the Estonian premiere of this new version, Mingo Rajandi will be joined on stage by Estonian musicians Maarja Nuut and Regina Udod, alongside Belgian musician Eugénie Defraigne.

The concert presentation and creation of Lady Sapiens by Mingo Rajandi are supported by Tallinn – UNESCO City of Music.

Mingo Rajandi – double bass, vocals

Regina Udod – double bass, vocals

Eugénie Defraigne – cello, vocals

Maarja Nuut – violin, electronics, vocals

Mingo Rajandi:
Koduleht
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