Double Crossword
CELEBRATED jazz and gospel artist Judith Sephuma, is set to rock the stage when she returns to the Standard Bank Jazz Festival this year. The singer last performed at the festival, which takes place at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, in 2010.
“I am extremely excited to be a part of the line-up this year. I absolutely love the Standard Bank Jazz Festival and the National Arts Festival. It has such a unique vibe and even the food is great, I am already calling it my two days of bliss,” she said.
“I love how authentic the festival is and even how authentic Grahamstown is, when I was asked to perform this year, it was an immediate yes.”
Sephuma said fans can expect to go on a journey during her performance.
“With this particular performance, I am taking my fans back to day one and then bringing them to the present day. It’s going to be a journey of my musical career, from my first album, A Cry, A Smile, A Dance, to my last album and even to my gospel albums. They will be able to see how my music has evolved,” she said.
“I think every musician wants to be a part of the festival, it’s a great honour. I am also really looking forward to seeing how the audience has changed since I was last there.
“I am sure there will be the diehard fans but something like this festival always attracts a new crowd, whether young or old, so that is going to be interesting for me to see.”
Sephuma, who has released more than 10 studio albums and has won multiple awards, recently released her second gospel album, My Worship. An album that took her just one month to put together.
“I never saw myself as a gospel singer, I am known for my work in jazz but gospel music happened as I grew in the music industry. I am a God-fearing woman and gospel just kept pulling at my strings, I could not ignore it.
“There was also a time in my career where I did not know what to do. I did not want to release another jazz album because I personally thought people were getting bored, and I didn’t want that and I didn’t want to be repetitive which is another reason why I did my first gospel album,” she said.
Her first gospel album, The Experience, which she released in 2013, received rave reviews from fans. After it’s success she then released One Word, a jazz album.
“I was very humbled by the reception The Experience received from my fans, and I am just as humbled by the response My Worship is getting, and it has only been out for a month.
“When I was putting My Worship together, I could have done it with just a piano and my vocals. I was not allowed to, but there is still a huge element of acoustic music which is what I wanted. This album is about showing gratitude. I am still standing because of God. I have been through a lot over the last couple of months but God gets me up every morning so this album is about being grateful and thanking Him for life,” she said.
On how she juggles making music in two different genres, Sephuma said it is no easy task.
“I actually think that for my fans, the fact I now sing both gospel and jazz is easy for them to balance because you can choose either one or even both. However, as an artist, it’s difficult. I don’t ever want the one genre to suffer over the other. They both need my attention and both need the same care, so it is difficult but so far so good. I am able to do it by the grace of God.”
She cites performing at this year’s Cape Town International Jazz Festival as one of her career highlights and said 2017 will see her doing a lot of travelling.
Judith Sephuma will perform at the Standard Bank Jazz Festival in Grahamstown in the DSG Hall on June 30 at 7.30pm and on July 1 at 7.30pm. Tickets are R130.