City set for ‘Africa’s grandest gathering’
CONSIDERED a jewel in its host city’s crown, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) offers incredible music, food and fashion, and premier hospitality.
Behind the scenes, the festival team is gearing up for the 20th celebration of Africa’s Grandest Gathering, as the festival has affectionately become known.
Festival director Billy Domingo says they have consistently attracted a global audience while ensuring Cape Town “comes alive” with the week-long programme of festivities, including a weekend of live music at the main festival event.
“Our festival is a showcase of the grandest entertainment Africa has to offer. Festinos have bought into the ethos of what we are all about; great entertainment in the grandest setting.”
The CTIJF has consistently showcased a mix of local, African and international performers. It features something for everyone. More than 40 acts, with over 350 musicians, perform across five stages over the two-day main festival, which attracts an annual audience of more than 30 000 music lovers.
The calibre of performing acts is unrivalled, with the festival having hosted globally renowned artists like Lauryn Hill (US), the late Hugh Masekela, Cassandra Wilson (US), Hiatus Kaiyote (Australia), George Benson (US), the late Cesária Évora (Cape Verde), Earth, Wind & Fire (US) and Yvonne Chaka Chaka, to name a few.
The underlying ethos of the festival continues to give back to its host city through the annual free concert hosted in the city centre, and the ever-popular Sustainable Training and Development programme.
The CTIJF Free Community Concert at Greenmarket Square in central Cape Town allows everyone to experience the wealth of talent that the festival has to offer annually.
The festival’s Sustainable Training and Development programme hosts free workshops focusing on skills transfer and music development.
The festival is widely acclaimed as one of the best in the world, previously being named by independent survey Melody Trip as the fourth best jazz festival worldwide.
The festival will take place on March 29 and 30 next year at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Tickets are on sale now at Computicket, while hospitality packages are available directly from espAfrika. |