Music and Trucks brings back the jazz culture in the township

The Farmers Market Yethu venue in Alex on the corner of 13th Avenue and Hofmeyer Street will host the Music and Trucks event of the Amantombazane Jazz Revival Club on April 20.
The founder of the Refilwe Pieterse Foundation, Refilwe Pieterse said the inspiration for the event is to bring back the culture of jazz because the club has seen that it is slowly fading in the township.
“After all, as you go around the township on Sundays, you don’t see those jam sessions anymore that used to characterise Alexandra,” said Pieterse.
“Sundays used to be a day for jam, people used to gather and listen to jazz music. We see people gather every Sunday for nothing but only for alcohol. There were programmes in the township back then and the programme for Sunday was for people to gather at a place for live music.

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“That was the culture of the township and now it is gone so, with this event, we want to bring back the culture of Sunday live music and celebration of our own kind of music.”
Pieterse added that what makes this event different from other jazz events is that Alex has its own culture.
“The jazz collectors are coming to the event and there are also jazz lovers coming to the event not only from Gauteng but from other provinces as well. The most unique thing about this event is that I want people to listen to our kind of jazz before we listen to those famous jazz musicians because we need to start by honouring ourselves and then the other music will follow.
“We have amazing musicians here in the township that need to be honoured within the event therefore, the event is specifically about honouring ourselves not only as jazz listeners but as jazz creators.”

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Pieterse said the event is not only for the elderly, young people are also welcome as there will be a competition and exhibition of art. “During the event, a lot will be happening, and the youth will showcase their fine art talent, there will be dance, live music, Sis Lisa Becker’s book launch and there will be farmers who will be selling nutritious food and our African food [such as amanqina and mogodu].”
Pieterse said what they hope to achieve with this event is the fire and the yearning for jazz Sundays and they wish for the spirit to continue every Sunday they do not want people to come only once and never show up again.
“We want to give lovers of this genre, who are mainly the elderly Jazz DJs, the venue every Sunday and we want to offer a dignified space where the elderly can come, chill and listen to music every Sunday.”

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