Old timers’ ‘jam session’ a joy Hc e o le t bs
Your gossip lady has been hard at work this week doing what she does best – sniffing on people’s affairs. In fact, I have been working harder than zamantepreneurs Terry Pheto and Carol Bouwer.
The Joy of Jazz is back with a bang and your First Lady in gossip was there, in Sandton.
At first glance the place looked like an old age home. I could see grey hair all over the place. But again, I could smell old money miles away.
What was refreshing was the absence of slay queens. For once, I enjoyed all the attention of the old men. I am still wondering why slay queens do not like Joy of Jazz. It is a perfect money fishing ground.
Could it be jazz people are too deep and weird for slay queens? I overhead one 60-something asking his wife if she packed his hypertension pills.
I felt like I was at a year-end stokvel party. I have never seen so many fashion mistakes in one room! If we were living in apartheid days, fashion police would have rocked up in 10 kwela kwelas and confiscated those tired berets, I swear.
Of course, there would be no jazz without its first lady, Nothemba Madumo. She was plain and simple in a black kamo suit. Girl, ask moi to hook you up with a stylist. Actress and radio host Phemelo Motene was also there with her good English. She looked like she was going to drop off her kid at her mother-in-law’s place.
Lord, I nearly fainted when I saw social media activist Lupi Ngcayisa looking like James Brown. Lupi, if government doesn’t work out for you, go work at any casino and do James Brown’s impersonator. Your really nailed that look. Singer Ringo Madlingozi can still get it. He is sexy and has that Xhosa charm you can’t buy. I now get it why village girls drop their panties when he is around.
Still on Joy of Jazz, it was a weekend affair and moi was not going to miss the premier of one of the biggest jazz festivals that’s been around for over 20 years.
But Covid, the thief of joy, did us dirty in many ways, like the absence of this jol over the past two years. The pre-party on Friday was at the Sandton City Garden Court and it was fancy shindig for a meet and greet with the organisers and partners of this old timers’ jam session. It’s a small venue and moi’s fears of bumping against each other were dispelled after realising a few were there to mingle and have a scrumptious dinner.
Shwa spotted the festival producer Ziki Molusi and mbira player Mantwa Chinoamadi Mutshinya looking jazzed up and ready for the weekend ahead. Jazz maestro and festival chair Peter Tladi was all over the place, welcoming guests and looked so excited ahead of the two-day do.