Atmosphere electric on first night of Joy of Jazz festival
Image: REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
Ululating, rhythmic hand-clapping and cheers echoed through the Sandton Convention Centre on the first night of the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival.
The 24th edition of the annual festival drew thousands of music enthusiasts for an enchanting night of good music, food and fashion. The four stages came alive with a symphony of talents from legendary jazz artists, inclindg international stars like Andreas Vollenweider,
At the Conga stage, guitarist Billy Monama mesmerised the audience with his tribute performance to Allen Kwela.
Ami Faku, meanwhile, had both young and old belting out with her as she wrapped up her performance at the Mbira stage with a jazzy rendition of her hit Asibe Happy.
Image: Alaister Russell
Speaking to TimesLIVE in the artists lounge backstage, Monama said he felt like he left his soul on the stage.
“Being on stage is a place where we get into a trance and forget about everything that’s happening in the world. It’s my third time performing here at the Joy of Jazz and it’s beautiful to see people showing up and the love they have for this art form,” he said.
The night wasn’t without a glitch, however, as the bar ran out of some alcoholic beverages before 10pm.
The biggest upset of the night was Grammy-winning pianist Robert Glasper, who was headlining the Conga stage alongside the Alexander Beets Quintet with pianist Miguel Rodriguez, drummer Sven Rozier and bassist Marius Beets.
While most artists got standing ovations and pleas for an encore, Glasper was booed by the crowd. Having stumbled on stage, appearing drunk, the American pianist gave what some described as a bare minimum and disrespectful performance, loaded with expletives — even referring to the audience as “motherf***ers”.
Image: REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
When TimesLIVE arrived at the Conga stage, Glasper had left during his set and a DJ was entertaining the crowd. When Glasper returned, he gave a lacklustre performance.
Despite that somewhat disappointing performance, the atmosphere of the festival was still electric, with a blend of tradition and modernity on offer.
The Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival is testament to the power of music to unite, inspire and transport audiences to a happier place.
TimesLIVE