Cape Town - Jazz lovers jived and throngs of crowds moved between the different stages at the 19th Cape Town International Jazz Festival.
The Sekunjalo Delft Big Bang and the EduJazz Band opened the festival on Friday night at the International Convention Centre with their sets on the Basil “Manenberg” Coetzee and Rosies stages.
The young musicians from across the province impressed with their performances.
Later in the night New Zealander Jordan Rakei, Sama award-winning Mi Casa, Black Motion, The Liberation Project Acoustic Band featuring features the legendary Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, Incognito and Alistair Izobell entertained the crowds.
Former Idols contestant and Sama award winner Amanda Black performed.
Black said she was honoured to be selected to take part in the festival .
She said her roots and culture influenced her music and her onstage presence was “me just being me”.
“My music incorporates the music that I make back home (in the Eastern Cape). The Xhosa influences come through in the music. I also mix Xhosa and English in my music.
“When I perform I’m completely in it and if I close my eyes, don’t mind me because when I’m on stage I go somewhere else. It’s my first time on the stage and I want to leave them with me and leave it all on the stage,” she said.
Tonight fans can expect to see Grammy-winning British artist Corinne Bailey Rae headlining the Kippies stage with Simphiwe Dana set to perform before her.
Home-grown talent includes Claire Phillips, Louis Moholo-Moholo, Miles Mosley, Tank and the Bangas and the 201 esp Young Legend contest winner, Jarrad Ricketts.
A capella group, The Soil, will perform too. The group has decreased in number and now comprises Buhlebendalo Mda, Ntsika Ngxanga, Luphindo Ngxanga and Theo Matshoba, who serves as an occasional replacement for Mda.
“The free concert was, as the cool kids say, lit, and we appreciate real people and that’s the kind of people we want to reach out to those who can’t afford a ticket to the jazz festival and we want to bring that same energy to our performance,” said Mda.
The Soil will be on stage tonight from 6pm.