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Top local and international artists have been lined up for the Joy of Jazz festival, again taking place at various venues across Newtown.
THIS August, the annual Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival celebrates a decade of "putting Joburg on the international jazz map".
Running from 27 to 29 August, the festival will feature a stellar bill of jazz musicians and pioneers from across the globe who will offer music from countries as diverse as the Sweden, Spain, Holland, United States, Nigeria and South Africa.
Pianist Bob Baldwin
As part of the event's 10th anniversary, organisers note that two of the artists who performed at the inaugural Joy of Jazz in 2000 - US saxophonist Marion Meadows and pianist Bob Baldwin - will perform.
"The Standard Bank Joy of Jazz proudly celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with a truly international line-up of top artists from around the world, while continuing to discover and explore the heritage and riches of home-grown talent," reads a press release from Total Exposure, the event's publicists.
Joy of Jazz is sponsored by Standard Bank and organised and promoted by T-Musicman; it is endorsed by the City's department of arts, culture and heritage and the Gauteng provincial government.
"The Standard Bank Joy of Jazz is a living testimony of the positive contributions that the creative industries make in the city, the province and the country," says Peter Tladi of T-Musicman.
"We have successfully grown audiences, given artists a world-class platform to entertain, and put together a product that hits the right spot with music lovers, media, sponsors and the government. We hope the next 10 years will see further growth, locally, on the continent and globally."
Milestone
Clement Motale, Standard Bank's director of group sponsorships, notes: "Ten years of jazz in Johannesburg is a significant milestone, and we will be hosting a Standard Bank Joy of Jazz this year that promises jazz lovers a weekend to remember."
International jazz musicians on the bill will share the stage and collaborate with some of the best the local market has to offer. Internationals include Sweden's Grammy-award winner Andreas Vollenweider, who will perform alongside South Africa's Pops Mohamed.
"In this way, the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz has contributed to the cultural exchange between artists and many international performers have met their local counterparts and subsequently collaborated on various projects," says Motale.
World-renowned trumpeter Ingrid Jensen; Ben Williams; American vocalist Phil Perry; vocalists Cuba Gooding Senior, Larry Moore and George Stanley Senior; Spain's Sumrra; and Room 11 are among a host of international acts on the bill, along with keyboardist Lao Tizer; Chieli Minucci, a contemporary jazz guitarist, composer, music producer and arranger; and Marion Meadows, a tenor saxophonist, soprano saxophonist and composer.
Local artists include the legendary Jonas Gwangwa; Afro Jazz, featuring Jimmy Dludlu on guitar; Vusi Mahlasela; Brian Thusi; Sterling EQ; and Kesivan Naidoo, the 2009 Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner for jazz. The Nigerian All Stars, featuring Kúnlé Ayo, and Rwanda's Somi will also perform.
Grow in stature
"Our continued support for the [festival] has seen this prominent social music fixture grow in stature each year, and on the occasion of our 10th anniversary we look forward to celebrating a rich and warm blend of African and international jazz in the heart of Joburg, bringing jazz lovers together in a truly united and global celebration of jazz and its heritage," Motale notes.
Local artists include the legendary Jonas Gwangwa
Tladi is also enthusiastically looking forward to the weekend. "Once again, we have endeavoured to provide a diverse range of jazz styles. The artists performing this year are all highly respected, heavyweight musicians, whether newcomers or those who are icons of the global jazz scene."
As always, performances take place at six different venues across Newtown. Among these is the Mbira Stage, venue of the opening night with a performance by the Lao Tizer Band, featuring Emmy Award-winning guitarist Minucci and international violin virtuoso Karen Briggs. Well-known guitarist Norman Brown will also perform at the opening night extravaganza.
According to Tladi, the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz has played an integral part in the regeneration of the inner city. "[We've] had significant benefits in helping to shape the future of Johannesburg and contributing to the city's changing creative and cultural landscape."
Other venues are the Market Theatre, Sophiatown, Nikki's Oasis and the Bassline. The Mbira and Dinaledi stages will be erected at Mary Fitzgerald Square to create a multi-purpose venue specifically for the festival. The Dinaledi Stage will be reminiscent of Sophiatown, the old Joburg suburb that played a pivotal role in the development of South African jazz.
Tickets
Entrance to some of the venues, such as Sophiatown and Nikki's Oasis, will be free; at these venues up-and-coming bands will be given an opportunity to gain experience and showcase their talent. They include bands from the Puisano Roving Jazz programme.
Part of the festival is a programme to grow and nurture the genre, and aspiring musicians are encouraged to enrol for a series of free workshops facilitated by international and local artists.
The Johannesburg Standard Bank Joy of Jazz marks its 10th anniversary this year, and will be hosted in four venues around Newtown from Thursday, 27 to Saturday, 29 August.
Tickets range in price from R280 to R400 per person seated or standing. They are available at Computicket outlets, on 083 915 8000 or through the Computicket website .
There are a limited number of tickets available with a 15 percent discount for all Standard Bank customers until the end of June; however, the offer is limited to two tickets per account holder and is not available for online bookings.
There is also a day pass, allowing holders to move between performances at the Dinaledi Stage and the Mbira Stage on 28 and 29 August.
For more information log on to the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz website or the T-Musicman website; alternatively contact Janine of Total Exposure on 011 788 8725 or email
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