Cape Town - There was much on offer for young music lovers at the 18th Cape Town International Jazz Festival.
This year saw a massive increase in the number of younger festival-goers in attendance, compared to last year, with 30 percent under 35.
Los Angeles-based R&B/ neo soul outfit The Internet, performed hits from their third, critically acclaimed, studio album, Ego Death.
The Grammy-nominated group said they were looking forward to returning to South Africa, after a successful performance on Saturday night.
Lead vocalist Sydney “Syd” Bennett said although travelling costs for the five-member band were high, they would consider coming back if they received a good deal.
“We would love to come back and perform for an actual Internet fan crowd. It is expensive to travel with the five of us, we just have to wait for the right offers to come in. I know Johannesburg has been really adamant about us coming there and we will definitely go,” Bennett said.
Another dynamic artist and musical influencer who performed at the festival was Cape Town hip hop artist, Dope Saint Jude. She enthralled crowds with a mix of edgy music, visuals and choreography, accompanied by her band of Cape Town locals.
The Keep In Touch singer – who has in recent months been booked for a number of international gigs – said performing at the festival was a career highlight.
“When I first started doing hip hop, I couldn’t get a lot of producers to work with me because a lot of the guys told me I had to sexualise myself or eroticise myself to be lekker in hip hop.
“I didn’t want to do that, because I don’t believe I have to eroticise myself to make myself look sexy. Because I’m sexy just by being myself,” the well-known feminist said.
American music songstress and Rise Up hitmaker, Andra Day, set the stage ablaze with her performance.
Day, who dabbles in a mix of soul, R&B and jazz, said her music was inspired by hip hop.
“Jazz is constantly evolving and I think now it has become relatable to a younger audience.
“You get hip hop artists who are incorporating jazz music into their music. I don’t think jazz has died out,” Day said.