CT Jazz Festival brings big guns

A musical delight … Music icon Lauryn Hill will be performing at the Cape Town Jazz Festival.

All roads will lead to Cape Town next weekend for the 13th annual Cape Town Jazz Festival. The festival has not only become a must for music lovers, but also pumps close to R800-million into the economy and creates thousands of jobs.

According to organiser Rashid Lombard, they will be taking training and development seriously this year as the festival will be more focused on job creation and sustaining the cultural industry.

The event hosts a series of workshops and programmes each year aimed at transferring knowledge and skills. These development events are held during the build-up to the festival over an eight-day period. They take place at venues in the CBD and greater Cape Town area.

The jazz great … World-renowned jazz musician Dave Koz will also perform at the festival.
“Giving back to the community and the music community in particular is an important aspect of the festival. The development programme that runs alongside the festival provides a unique opportunity to exchange industry knowledge and ideas. It brings together sector experts and industry people thirsty to learn more,” said Lombard.

On March 30 and 31, the Music Business Workshop and Jazz and Urban Music Master Classes take place at the Fugard Theatre. These workshops will be conducted by respected music industry stalwarts, including Graeme Gilfillan and Don Gorder of Berklee College and will cover business operations, event production, royalties, and the latest trends in the music industry.

The music master classes will be presented by some of the top jazz and urban musicians performing at the festival such as Mike Stern, David Sanchez, Third World, Atmosphere, Allen Stone, Jean Grae, and Pharoahe Monche. The classes will provide first-hand insight into the industry and what it takes to entertain people and sell albums all over the world.

Over 40 national and international artists are set to perform at this year’s festival with headline acts such as Lauryn Hill, Dave Koz, Ill Skillz, Zahara, Lindiwe Shuttle, David Sanchez and Lionel Loueke, Allan Stone, Patti Ausin Trio, and Adam Glasser.