Lois Gilbert
March-4th-2005, 02:26 AM
It is all systems go for the sixth staging of "Africa's Grandest Gathering", the biggest annual jazz event on the continent. Festival director Rashid Lombard is confident The Cape Town International Jazz Festival (formerly the North Sea Jazz Festival - Cape Town), which will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on March 26 and 27, will be bigger than the previous years' festivals.
DistrictMail readers can win prizes worth just short of R2 000 in a giveaway by the festival organisers. One reader can win double weekend tickets valued at R798. There are also four CDs worth R600 up for grabs and one reader can win a cap and t-shirt worth R180. To enter, see questions at the end of this story.
The festival will again feature five stages with a line-up of 40 acts comprising an even split between African and international artists.
Some of the artists who will be performing include Cape Verde Island singer Cesaria Evora, Amina Figarova Septet, Roberta Flack and Susanne Abbuehl. Among the male headliners are US trumpeter Terrence Blanchard and Dave Holland. There will also be an appearance by the Yellowjackets from the USA. Another group that is going to excite is Morris Goldberg and Ojoyo.
The African contingent currently includes 340ml, the Mozambican group who have stamped their presence on the SA music scene with some wonderful live shows and a debut album called "Moving"; and the world-famous Mahotella Queens, the mbaqanga trio who have forged a successful career despite the death of their frontman and vocalist, Mahlatini, a few years ago.
Other African artists include the Young Bakuba Band, comprising musicians from Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon; SA bassist Sammy Webber and Swazi Dlamini. Other names to watch out for include the Cuban jazz pianist Ramón Valle; saxophone player Yuri Honing from The Netherlands and from Tunisia comes Dhafer Yousef.
Ticket prices remain the same at R399 for a two-day pass and R260 for a one-day pass.
DistrictMail readers can win prizes worth just short of R2 000 in a giveaway by the festival organisers. One reader can win double weekend tickets valued at R798. There are also four CDs worth R600 up for grabs and one reader can win a cap and t-shirt worth R180. To enter, see questions at the end of this story.
The festival will again feature five stages with a line-up of 40 acts comprising an even split between African and international artists.
Some of the artists who will be performing include Cape Verde Island singer Cesaria Evora, Amina Figarova Septet, Roberta Flack and Susanne Abbuehl. Among the male headliners are US trumpeter Terrence Blanchard and Dave Holland. There will also be an appearance by the Yellowjackets from the USA. Another group that is going to excite is Morris Goldberg and Ojoyo.
The African contingent currently includes 340ml, the Mozambican group who have stamped their presence on the SA music scene with some wonderful live shows and a debut album called "Moving"; and the world-famous Mahotella Queens, the mbaqanga trio who have forged a successful career despite the death of their frontman and vocalist, Mahlatini, a few years ago.
Other African artists include the Young Bakuba Band, comprising musicians from Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon; SA bassist Sammy Webber and Swazi Dlamini. Other names to watch out for include the Cuban jazz pianist Ramón Valle; saxophone player Yuri Honing from The Netherlands and from Tunisia comes Dhafer Yousef.
Ticket prices remain the same at R399 for a two-day pass and R260 for a one-day pass.