Oliver Mtukudzi the star of this year’s Standard Bank Joy of Jazz
Forget Montreal and Newport, South Africa has its own equivalent, if not unique, jazz festival, the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz.
Zimbabwe’s Oliver Mtukudzi, centre, performs at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival in Johannesburg on Saturday. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
Music enthusiasts flocked to the Sandton Convention Centre at the weekend to see some of the finest world-acclaimed artists from various parts of the continent, Europe and the US.
From Cassandra Wilson, David Sanborn and Gloria Bosman to Paul Hanmer, McCoy Mrubata, Mbuso Khoza and Sydney Mavundla – to name just some of them – organisers of the 21st three-day festival, which also paid tribute to the late legendary jazz maestro Hugh Masekela, pulled out all the stops to bring to fans some of the best performers in the genre.
It was the celebrated Zimbabwean singer Oliver Dairai Mtukudzi who won the hearts of many at the Mbira venue of the convention centre.
Mtukudzi’s sterling act made it difficult for him and his band to leave the stage as people shouted for more.
At 66, he displayed an amazing youthful vigour on stage – singing, dancing and playing his guitar – and he had the crowd eating out of his hand.
“We want more!” roared the crowd at the packed venue after a superb rendition of such songs as Chris Nani, Baba Wongororo and Neria – among Mtukudzi’s favourite tunes.
With venues Dinaledi, Mbira, Conga and Diphala hosting a lineup of various artists, jazz followers were spoilt for choice.
If you wanted to go down memory lane to the best jazz of the 1950s during the golden era of Count Basie, Dexter Gordon and Cannonball Adderley, you had to be at Dinaledi for the performance of the New York Round Midnight Orchestra featuring vocalist Izaline Calister.
Regarded as one of the hottest jazz ensembles, the nine-member orchestra with a rhythm section, horns and a vocalist from the cream of the Dutch jazz scene offered disciples the experience of exciting night life in renowned clubs around Broadway and Harlem.
Calister’s voice blended well with the men in dark suits in the song Ain’t Misbehaving – bringing back the old jazz to Jozi.
Dressed in African attire, Mbuso Khoza – the Eshowe-born award winning South African vocalist and songwriter – dazzled the crowds with songs like Akekho Omunye mntwanomuntu and Yoliswa. –brians@citizen.co.za
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