Lucky Sindane
26 July 2005
A hot jazz wind will blow through Johannesburg's cultural precinct at the end of August when Newtown hosts the 2005 Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Joburg International Festival.
The festival runs from 25 to 27 August.
World renowned jazz guitarists Stanley Jordan and Lee Ritenour, Grammy nominated saxophonist and composer Dave Koz and eminent jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves will headline the star-studded line up.
Among the local artists performing will be Hugh Masekela, Themba Mkhize, Jonas Gwangwa, Thandiswa Mazwai, Simphiwe Dana and Zamajobe.
Speaking at the festival's launch, Peter Tladi, the chief executive of T-Musicman, said, "This is the festival where award-winners from home and abroad will be showcasing what they are made of.
Award-winners
"We are going to see a flood of award-winners coming to grace our stages, from the Samas to the Oscars, Grammys and Koras, to name a few. We will also feature
the winner of the Ghana Music Awards."
The festival kicks off at the Standard Bank Arena on 25 August with a performance by Ritenour and Koz and South African pianist and songwriter Mkhize.
On 26 and 27 August there will be performances at eight venues in Newtown, each featuring a different style of music.
"There is no doubt that the staging of the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival in the Newtown precinct has played an integral part in the regeneration of the inner city," said Khanyi Mlambo of Standard Bank, one of the festival's sponsors.
"And as Newtown emerges as one of the world's most exciting and dynamic cultural centres, Standard Bank has been central to its continued development."
Workshops
Free workshops will be conducted Mogale City and Soweto by international artists including Jordan, Reeves, Ritenour, Koz, Everett Green, Albert Beger and Rachelle Ferrell.
"The festival provides us with the space to develop, appreciate and celebrate the music heritage of South Africa," said Johannesburg Mayor Amos Masondo.
"This includes music from prominent local artists who have performed at Joy of Jazz festivals and shared this stage with internationally renowned musicians."
Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa echoed the mayor's words. "The Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival is one such event, which brings together new and established sounds in a celebration of South African music.
"Over a nine-year period it has established itself as a premier jazz event, providing a platform for countless new musicians who are now regarded as the cream of South African performers," he said.
Source: City of Johannesburg
