WITH GALLERY: Soulful wrap to a weekend of jazz

by Sibusiswe Nyanda | Aug 25, 2013 | Featured 1, News

The third leg of the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival is usually the most highly anticipated. This year’s finale was no different – with the likes of Selaelo Selota, Stimela and Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse standing out as local favourites to look forward to. Carmen Lundy and The Temptations Review featuring Dennis Edwards were the must-see international acts.

Saturday was the busiest of the three evenings, with all the restaurants in the enclosed precinct filled to capacity.

A medley of jazz genres and hip hop could be heard as enthusiasts made their way from one venue to the next, rushing to get a good seat with the perfect view.

Bassline and the Dinaledi stages were the more intimate spaces, with the audience almost at eye level with the artists. Stimela and Kabomo Vilakazi were on the more concert-like Mbira stage and their shows were fitting of this setting.

As soon as they started performing their first item, Stimela’s audience was on their feet. The crowd danced and sang along to the band’s very last song – after which they demanded an encore from the Afro-fusion legends.

As the evening drew to a close and jazz lovers made their way out, they were met with crowds that had clearly watched Selota instead. They laughed and shouted “Thrr Phaa!” the catchy phrase and title of one of his more famous singles. The exit queues were abuzz with informal reviews of the shows they had seen, most of which were filled with excitement and satisfaction.

Wherever you ended up this past weekend, as long as you were in Newtown, you were in for a soulful treat from some of the world’s most celebrated artists.