Local jazz artists and international musicians come together at the festival
The Makhanda National Jazz Festival will once again bring together jazz musicians from across the country and the world at SA’s definitive jazz gathering, live at the National Arts Festival. Jazz has always been a staple of the National Arts Festival and promises to be a big draw for audiences who missed the live jazz experience. The years of confinement have been particularly difficult for musicians who still rely heavily on gigs and concerts, often at festivals, for their livelihood.
The Jazz Festival also includes a core program that is essential to the development of professional jazz musicians in South Africa. The National Youth Jazz Festival brings together talented young musicians from across South Africa and through the program over 300 young musicians from schools, universities and informal institutions across the country can meet and connect with successful and diverse jazz musicians. These young musicians also audition for the National Youth Jazz Band – a springboard that has helped shape the careers of artists like Kesivan Naidoo, Siya Makuzeni, Tutu Puoane and Kyle Shepherd. Many of these musicians in turn mentor young musicians and so the circle continues.
National Jazz Festival Makhanda curator Alan Webster points out that the program has a strong selection of young jazz artists and, although the headlines are filled with young jazz artists from South Africa, excellent musicians from Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Romania, Great Britain and Spain will collaborate with them for this very special celebration of jazz.
For more information, visit: https://nationalartsfestival.co.za/
