Jazzmandu 2026

The annual Surya Nepal Jazzmandu is returning to Nepal’s capital for its 22nd edition between two major festivals Dasain and Tihar between 29 October – 4 November.

Eleven musicians and bands will be performing, including musicians from the United States, Brazil, Switzerland, France, Australia, Singapore, and Nepal.

“Every year is unique but this year’s main attraction is that various musicians from around the world are coming together, especially Tito Puente Jr, son of Tito Puente, the pioneer of Latin jazz,” says Navin Chettri, founder of the festival and member of Cadenza Collective (see below).

Jazz Upstairs Bar’s Chhedup Bomzan and Cadenza’s drummer and singer Chettri started the concerts for the first time in 2002 and it has been held almost every year since.

“The seed of the festival was planted in Australia when we were invited to a Jazz festival over there,” recalls Chettri. “The whole idea was to bring the live jazz scene in Kathmandu, so that people can share the energy of musicians around the world.”

Tito Puente Jr

Tito Puente Jr continues the legacy of his jazz legend father Tito Puente. In just five short years, he has already become an audience favourite and has performed in 300 concerts around the world.

Puente has been featured in several major American television networks, and his 2004 album In My Father’s Shoes was adapted into a BET Jazz television special. His latest album, Got Mambo?, features both traditional rhythms and audacious new approaches that establishes his own distinct jazz voice.

Tito Puente Jr – Timbale and vocals | Zach Fawcett – Trumpet | Pravin Chettri – Alto saxophone | Inap Raj Shretha – Tenor saxophone | Nick Aggs – Baritone saxophone | Manon Mullener – Piano | Samir Chettri – Bass | Navin Chettri – Percussion | Alex Brindell – Percussion | Philippe Ciminato – Percussion

Manon Mullener

Manon Mullener started playing piano at the age of four. At seventeen, her love of jazz, especially Afro-Cuban music, took her to Havana for creative training. Mullener has since toured and played widely in Europe, Latin America, and the West Asia. She is regarded as a rising talent of European jazz and was given the Swiss Jazz Award in 2026.

Her first album, Reflejos (2019) was recorded in collaboration with Peruvian pianist César Correa and Zurich-based percussionist David Stauffacher. Inspired by people she met during her tours, STORIES (2024) was recorded in New York, and it received praise from the European press.

She is an awardee of the Spirale Prize and got a top spot in the 2022 SOFIA (Support of Female Improvising Artists) international competition.

Manon Mullener – Piano | Lucien Mullener – Drums | Rodrigo Aravena – Bass

Cadenza Collective

Cadenza Collective is one of the most distinctive and eclectic bands to come out from Kathmandu. It has revitalised Nepal’s improvised music scene, performed internationally, and collaborated with a diverse range of Western and traditional Nepali musicians.

“This festival gives us a chance for us band members to be together, as we all live in different countries,” says Chettri. “We are excited to share the energy and music as in all these 23 years,” says drummer and composer Navin Chettri

The band has released seven original albums, with its latest singles, The Mountain Tickled My Feet and Selo Groove, scheduled for release in 2026.