The event, which is organised by the Botswana Society for Jazz Education (BOSJE), will also feature local songbird, Mpho Sebina, BOSJE, Kennedy Thal, The Fleek Band, WDP, CAFCA, Grow to Black Collective, Jazzman, Jembesoul and Kingdom Arts Band.
The Tjontjobina hitmaker was once a hit with local fans.
The founder of BOSJE, Akhutleleng Kekwaletswe said the event is meant to bring together local and international jazz musicians to perform and share and deepen their understanding of jazz music. Kekwaletswe also stated that the event forms part of the BOSJE’s range of programmes and initiatives meant to support jazz education in Botswana, which includes jazz camps, workshops Masterclasses and mentorship programmes. “Each year, International Jazz Day features a series of events and concerts including educational programmes, performances and community outreach initiatives held in different cities around the world.
These events are organised to raise awareness of the role of jazz music in fostering intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding and to highlight its contribution to promoting freedom of expression, human dignity and individual creativity,” Kekwaletswe said. She said the day is also an opportunity to honour the contribution of jazz musicians, past and present who have enriched the world with their music and their passion for creativity and innovation. She said jazz artists have inspired and helped to shape the cultural heritage of societies and inspired generations of musicians and music lovers through their artistry. She stated that the event will also be an opportunity for local aspiring jazz artists to learn from the veterans such as Bhudaza. “We will have Kingdom Arts Academy who is the feeder of BOSJe also participating.
They will open the show with their marimba band. This is a great opportunity for them to be exposed to such an audience as well as see how it is done on the big stage,” she added. Meanwhile, Kekwaletswe said hosting the event will build on their portfolio as they plan to bid to host an international event by 2025. “The aim is that in 2025 we bid for the hosting of this event as Botswana.
This will require us to have hosted the event at an international level to show capacity. This will mean hosting a few international renowned artists and attract both large numbers and international audience,” she said. The show sponsors include Kingdom Arts Academy, Gabz FM, Showcase Piazza, Molapo, Bartender, Okavango Breweries SMCG, Airport Junction Mall, Man Made Media and Millennium Jazz Restaurant. Tickets for the show sell at P150 single and P800 VIP.
