Letters: Where are the jazz and music lovers?

Every first Friday of the month there are live jazz concerts at the Luthuli Museum in Groutville. At R30 per person, admission is almost free. In return you enjoy music and cool drinks and snacks. In line with Chief Albert and his wife Nokukhanya Luthuli’s beliefs, no liquor is served or consumed at the museum. That’s not the issue. We just don’t attend the shows!
Concerts are supposed to start at 6pm. Because people arrive late, they usually start later (Friday’s show started at 7:40). That’s shameful!
The shows also allow for local up-and-coming artists to be curtain raisers. There have been no curtain raisers for the last three shows. This platform does not only give young artists a chance to showcase their talent, it also gives them a chance to rub shoulders with established artists. Talent may be spotted by professionals that could change the lives of young artists.
Recently we have enjoyed some really great performances by professional artists including Zoe the Seed, the Mrubata/Hauser Project, and Wake Mahlobo and his band, the Journey.
Most of the artists are either established veterans or new talent that has come out of the UKZN School of Jazz or other talent grooming places.
In other places, such artists play to full houses of paying audiences. They are brought to us for free and we snub them! How do we develop Groutville and KwaDukuza tourism if we don’t attend our own shows? Vilakazi Street in Soweto was not developed by foreign tourists.
The tourism businesses that we need to develop needs our support! I have tried through social media and word of mouth to market the shows. For some shows it’s so successful that friends from Durban end up overbooking local Bed and Breakfast establishments.
This does not apply only to black jazz lovers. Chief Luthuli was a champion of non-racialism. His friends in the Indian and white community were all over the country. There are jazz music lovers in these communities in Stanger, Ballito and Greater KwaDukuza. Places like Luthuli Museum should be cradles of non-racialism. Concerts and other events at the museum should reflect our diversity in KwaDukuza.
ZAKHELE GUMEDE
Groutville