Nairobi — The summer has hit Copenhagen and the best way to have some quality time in this friendly city is to listen to live music. Two major events are taking place, one after the other.

The impressive Roskilde Festival boasts top world artistes such as Gorillaz, Prince and Jack Johnson, attracting an audience of 75,000, mainly youth from Europe.

The Copenhagen Jazz Festival, the largest in the world, follows this one. More than 1,000 concerts squeezed into one massive week of jazz - blue notes flowing from every corner of the city.

Although Copenhagen is renowned for its taste in music and a very creative arts industry, the major part of the acts are flown in from various destinations around the world.

The Copenhagen Jazz Festival headliner from Africa is bassist and singer Richard Bona from Cameroon.

In a wonderful setting in the Kings Garden dating back to the 1700s, I experienced the internationally renowned jazz artist.

The first thing you notice when Bona takes the stage is a downplayed focus on him as an individual. No big words, no bling bling, no introduction. Just a flawless stream of calming sounds from a focused band. This is about the music, not the man.

During an intense one-and-a-half-hour show, Bona guides his audience through a lush garden of sound.

His crystal clear voice and fantastic handling of the bass guitar lays the melodic foundation, but Bona plays with a great sense of team spirit with his band.

He explores a variety of styles and freely mixes inspiration from salsa, jazz, cumbia, samba and traditional West African rhythms.

The music is sparkling, engaging and varies from slow sensitive ballads to pieces of furious speed with an overflow of notes from a master's repertoire.

An audience of experienced jazz listeners nod their heads in recognition, lean back on the lawn and just listen. The band underlines the groove and colour of the music. With him is a collection of hand-picked international experts in their respective fields.

Musicians from Brazil, Cuba, Netherlands, Guadeloupe and USA form the base. Bona shows himself as an intelligent and unusually skilled band leader all through the concert.

Most of the material is Bona's own, but now and then he throws in compositions from other jazz legends such as Jaco Pastorius and Miles Davis.

He ends his concert alone on the stage, the audience listening in quiet respect, performing a sensitive song about the adventures of a little boy from Cameroon.

When the last notes are carried away by the breeze and the audience explodes in appreciation, the listener is never in doubt that Bona deserves his reputation as one of the biggest jazz men in the world.

But what does it take to reach that level? Why do so few musicians from Africa make it big on the international scene?

The obvious answer would be to state that jazz is not an integrated part of Africa's music heritage. However, Europeans thrive well in that environment and jazz never came from Europe anyway.

I asked some musicians who work on the international scene about their views on African musicianship in a highly competitive international music business.

Jean Christophe Maillard is a guitarist with roots in the Caribbean. Besides playing in Richard Bonas' band, he has worked with icons like Angelique Kidjo and Koffi Olomide.

I asked him what gives Richard Bona that cutting edge to be an internationally recognised jazz star.

"It's about signature. There are many great jazz musicians all over the world, but having a high level of technical skills is just not enough.

"It's when you reach a stage in your career where your playing style is easily recognisable, a trademark, that's when you start getting noticed. Richard Bona took that step when he started using his voice in the music. That's his edge. Before that, he was just another promising young African jazz musician in New York. It made that difference."

I asked him if he has noticed any clear differences between working with African musicians and artistes from elsewhere.

"One of the things is that nothing is ever written down. Everything is played by ear. It has both advantages and disadvantages. When Bona invited me into the band he said, here is the music and handed me a CD.

"With the majority of musicians from anywhere else, at this level, things would have been written down. The players need a chance to practise and interpret the music before even meeting the band."

Ayi Solomon is a Ghanaian percussionist with a base in Copenhagen. He has played with the international jazz elite for 20 years.

He says: "The European music management also makes a difference. The managers here respect the rights of the musicians they work with. At home, someone always tries to add an extra buck to his own pocket. It creates a fundamental mistrust that holds the industry back."

When asked about the best advice that they can give young musicians from Africa who want to make it in the West, Ayi Solomon is clear: "Many young Africans want to make it big here. My advice is this: Stay at home!"

He continues: "People are not aware of the high level of competition here. Thousands of artistes compete here, sharing only a small amount of airtime and record labels. It's better to stay true to your roots, work on your thing and practise hard. Once you have been recognised in your home country, you will be invited to Europe, anyway."

Jean Christophe Maillard agrees, but adds: "Music all over the world is starting to sound the same. Don't try to play hip hop, R&B or other Western styles like it's done 8,000 miles away. Look within yourselves for the musical source. Look for your own signature, trust your roots."

As I roam the city searching for more jazz, I am reminded that the way to the stars is long and winding. Talent, inspiration and practise must meet in a perfect triangle.

Ayi Solomon's last words of the day are directed at musicians who say they need just a bit of luck to be discovered by someone important. "Luck? Come on... it's just hard work!"