Now in its 36th year, the National Jazz Festival Makhanda forms part of the annual National Arts Festival with a program that has become a barometer of South African jazz. It’s also a gathering place for artists, many of whom take a break from their international travels to meet, jam, and create new ideas. For fans, it’s an annual pilgrimage, and for new audiences, it is an introduction to a musical genre that has defined generations and inspired millions across the globe.
The National Jazz Festival Programme is now live. For lovers of jazz, head to the link in the bio in the Instagram post below and make a list of all the shows you do not want to miss out on.
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A high point will undoubtedly be the Kesivan Naidoo Big Band, led by the iconic drummer, whose jazz career began in Makhanda in 1995 with his selection to the National Schools Jazz Band. “This,” he says, “is the festival that made me,” and in tribute to the Festival, he has organised the funding of and logistics for an impressive ensemble of South African and Swiss musicians that will play his music at a Festival reflecting both our jazz past and its future.
Pictured below: Kesivan Naidoo
The National Jazz Festival continues to be concentrated at the Diocesan School for Girls (DSG School) in Makhanda during the Festival. Tickets sell for between R50 and R150 each.
