Published, 24 January 2017 by IOL Reporter, Independent Media at 11:35am
EspAfrika, the organiser of the country’s longest running jazz festival, has pulled out all the stops to ensure that the 18th Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) exceeds all expectations.
The line-up highlights festival director Billy Domingo’s insights into the current musical renaissance around the world, where collaborations are producing unique sounds that are gaining new audiences.
Jazz fans are likely to make a beeline for these exciting acts announced in the second half of the CTJIF line-up: Saxophonist, producer and composer Kamasi Washington (US) and his release The Epic shook up the jazz critics’ pick lists in 2015 and won the 2016 American Music prize, earning new fans across the world in the process; Grammy-nominated singer Andra Day (US) whose song Rise Up has been adopted as an anthem for change throughout the world; vocalist, pianist, composer and music educator, and two-time Metro Music Award winner Nomfundo Xaluva (SA); and, the multi-award winning saxophonist, composer and arranger Buddy Wells, who will lead his own band in a sensitive yet blistering set as the Buddy Wells Sextet (SA).
For those who favour urban sounds and hip hop there is alternative hip hop trio Digable Planets (USA); dance/electronic music producer Jameszoo (NL); STTA (SA) – a live concept band and City Festival Battle of the Bands 2016 winner, comprising of drummer Jstar, turntablists DJ Raiko and DJ P–Kuttah, three live beat machine samplers, versatile vocalist/ Nasty J aka Joniq; and singer/composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Tom Misch (UK), who leaves his London bedroom studio to head to Cape Town for the first time in March.
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