Can’t stop the music
Rain doesn’t deter jazz lovers from gathering in Waterloo
WATERLOO — Those jazz fans are a plucky bunch.
On Saturday afternoon, the persistent rain didn’t deter the hundreds of fans who showed up to watch live performances on the main stage of the Sun Life Financial Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival.
Sure, there were a lot of wet bums from sitting on rain-soaked seats or picnic tables where there was more water than wood.
Instead of a sea of sunburnt faces, the audience became a sea of umbrellas, raincoats and hair dampened by damp.
Eleanor and Bill Eicher from Manheim had planned on Saturday being a beach day, but the rain ruined those plans so they headed to the festival instead.
“It was going to be a lazy day,” said Eleanor, pleased they came out despite the dreary weather.
After hauling themselves out of a semislumber, Bill apparently said “let’s do it, grab our umbrellas and see the acts.”
This was the couple’s first visit to the festival though they are regulars of the Kitchener Blues Festival, which this year runs Aug. 10 to 13.
Eleanor thinks it’s important people show up for these free events.
“With all the festivals in K-W, to keep them going you have to check it out,” she said.
Aside from all the headliners at the three-day festival — heavy-hitter jazz singers such as Matt Dusk and Emilie-Claire Barlow — the event also become a training ground for young performers.
On Saturday morning, the Youth Jazz Ensemble opened the day followed on Sunday morning by the Youth Jazz Choir. Both groups provide young people with an opportunity to learn jazz under the direction of a professional musician in intensive workshops culminating with a stage performance at the festival.
This is the first year for the six-voice Youth Jazz Choir under the direction of jazz singer Joni NehRita. Abu Ghouri is only 17, a recent high school graduate from Guelph now bound for Humber College’s music program this fall.
“For me, it was all about learning to increase my jazz vocabulary,” said the teen. “And it was an opportunity to engage in the jazz community.”
He said that growing up, he only heard “brown music” that is the pop music from India and Pakistan.
His parents also played Bob Marley and Phil Collins, but never jazz.
Once he heard it, the teen was deter-
mined to make a singing career performing jazz, R&B and soul.
Charlotte Weiler, 18, travelled from her home in Grimsby to be part of the ensemble and she was thrilled to be on stage performing.
“Everyone has been so supportive,” she said of the ensemble, NehRita and the musicians. “It’s a lot of fun and it’s a bit like a family.”
Weiler starts an arts and science degree at the University of Guelph this fall. She relished the opportunity afforded by the jazz ensemble.
“It gave me a chance to expand my voice, do more improvisation,” she said.
And as for that long drive from Grimsby?
“It was worth it.”