Famous saxophonist Candy Dulfer will perform for the first time at the Žalgiris Arena

As spring approaches, the Kaunas Jazz festival is already inviting to start making plans for winter. It has been announced that on December 14, at the invitation of the festival, world-renowned saxophonist Candy Dulfer will perform at Kaunas’ Žalgiris Arena together with her band.

Although the music star has visited Lithuania many times over the past several decades, this will be her first concert in Kaunas. Candy Dulfer will return to Lithuania after nearly a ten-year break.

“Candy Dulfer has long been on our list of desired festival stars. We are delighted that she will shine in our program, symbolically crowning the 36th season of Kaunas Jazz at the end of the year. The concert will be powerful – Candy is coming to Lithuania with a band of ten musicians,” announce the organizers of Lithuania’s largest jazz festival.

Tickets for the Candy Dulfer concert, as well as other Kaunas Jazz events, are distributed by BILIETAI.LT.

A musician whose popularity in the worlds of jazz and funk is unmatched by any other female saxophonist – this is how the Dutch star, who rose to global fame back in 1989, is often described in music encyclopedias and magazine articles.

Born into a musical family (her father is saxophonist Hans Dulfer), Candy Dulfer has been playing since childhood. At the age of twelve, she performed at the legendary North Sea Jazz Festival, and at fourteen she formed her own band.

She had her first major career breakthrough at the age of just 18, when she was invited by the queen of pop music Madonna to open for her European tour, and a year later her talent impressed singer Prince, who invited Candy to play together and appear in his music video.

This musical friendship lasted for decades – for example, in 2004 Candy toured as a member of Prince’s band. “When I need a saxophone, I call Candy,” the legendary performer once said, known for choosing only the very best musical partners.

In 1989, Candy Dulfer released a track that became a worldwide sensation. Recorded together with Eurythmics member David A. Stewart, “Lily Was Here” sounded like a romantic dance between guitar and saxophone. Created for the soundtrack of a Dutch film, the piece climbed into the Top 20 charts across Europe, Australia, and the United States, and is still frequently played on radio stations today.

It is said that the track was born as an improvisation at the end of a recording session and was not even initially intended to be part of the film – according to the musician’s father, it was recorded in a single take, without any repeats.

The international success of the song encouraged Candy Dulfer to record her debut album, playfully titled “Saxuality.” Her virtuoso playing, charisma, and stage presence almost instantly turned her into a major star – the 21-year-old saxophonist’s album entered the U.S. charts, sold over a million copies, and was nominated for a prestigious Grammy Award in the category of Best Contemporary Jazz Album.

That same year, Candy Dulfer performed with the legendary British rock band Pink Floyd, and the list of her musical collaborators goes on and on. Among the artists she has performed or recorded with are Lionel Richie, Van Morrison, Tower Of Power, Sheila E., Maceo Parker, and many others.

In her native Netherlands, Candy Dulfer is also a television personality, having hosted her own music talk show and served as a judge on the TV show “X Factor.”

Her career continues successfully to this day – her discography now includes twelve albums blending jazz, funk, rhythm and blues, and expressive, instantly memorable melodies.

Candy Dulfer’s recordings have sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide, and her performances are always marked by energy and passion – each of her shows becomes a true celebration of positive emotions.

Her latest album to date, “We Never Stop,” was released in 2022 and once again proved her weight in the music world – one of the album’s tracks was recorded with disco and funk legend Nile Rodgers, leader of the band Chic.

Candy Dulfer’s concert will bring a spectacular close to a star-filled year for the Kaunas Jazz festival. Most of the festival’s concerts will take place in April. Performances in Kaunas will be given by U.S. singers Lady Blackbird and Judith Hill – tickets to both concerts have already sold out, but due to popular demand, Judith Hill will hold an additional show in Vilnius.

The Kaunas audience will also see performances by Lithuanian jazz masters Dainius Pulauskas and Leonidas Šinkarenko with their bands, rising Belgian jazz star Adja, and Martha High, a longtime collaborator of the legendary James Brown, who will tour four Lithuanian cities.