REVERLLERS of varying ages, hues and demographics gathered at the Johannesburg Zoo for the fourth iteration of the popular Jazz in the Lights music concert on Human Rights Day.
Despite incessant rain which poured throughout the fest from afternoon to the late evening, concertgoers not only descended on the Forest Town wildlife enclosure with camp chairs and picnic baskets – but also with a gush of irrepressible spirit of camaraderie, to indulge their tastes in the sonic offerings performed by South African and international musicians.
Held under the auspices of the City of Johannesburg’s Arts Alive Programme, the concert is a 21st century reinvention of the preceding century’s Jazz on the Lake, which used to be staged opposite the venue at Zoo Lake, pending the onset of spring – converse to its current autumn date.
This year’s shindig had an additional stakeholder onboard in the form of Joburg Tourism which, in a media release, stated its involvement as being towards positioning “the city of gold” as Africa’s premier business hub and playground.
To such a vision’s end, the tourism agency claims the festival to have empowered small businesses, generated a substantial number of jobs, assisted in the nurturing of a schools development programme for upcoming performers, as well as contracted some 177 artists – during its 2024 staging.
In addition to a statement punting economic growth, its Executive Head for Destination Marketing and Events, Belu Mabandla, is quoted in the media release as encouraging attendees to the jazz fest: “groove responsibly with us!”
That precisely is what music lovers did – with a visible SAPS presence on site ensuring that no untoward incidents occurred among the thousand-strong throng. And a strong and diverse lineup of local and foreign performers – ranging from Dumza Maswana, Andile Yenana, Afrika Mkhize, Malcolm Jiyane, Xhanti Nokwali, Brenda Mtambo, Rorisang Sechele, Msaki, to Mozambique-born guitar wizard Jimmy Dludlu and Portugal’s avant-garde jazz vocalist Maria João – kept the crowd jiving throughout an intermittent drizzle.
The concert and the audience particularly came to life in the evening amidst the lights, in reaction to Dludlu’s contemporary melodic and expressive Afro-jazz rhythms blended with elements of soul, fusion, and smooth jazz.
Under the pelting rain and the shelter of umbrellas, they became lost in the groove as the guitarist climbed off the stage and strummed an improvised instrumental chorus of Brenda Fassie’s Weekend Special, in close proximity to the barrier fence separating the crowd from the stage area.
The influential hitmaker further endeared himself to the mainly female front row crowd by wowing it with a display of unusual guitar-playing antics whilst permitting the screaming women to snap selfies with him!
Well into the evening, the guitar-wielding Msaki (a.k.a. Asanda Lusaseni Mvana) transported the collective “hammer, anvil and stirrup” of revellers into nirvana with her genre-blending brand of music!
Flanking the tailend of the spreadout crowd was a crafts market composed of stalls by local traders displaying a plethora of functional merchandise ranging from curios to garments – evidently proof of the bolstering of businesses Mabandla alluded to.
Adjacent to a food and beverages area was located the VIP stretch tent in which the City of Johannesburg’s Director for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Vuyisile Mshudulu, hosted socialites such as one of South Africa’s foremost radio jazz presenters, Kgomotso “KG” Moeketsi – amidst much grooving!
Disappointingly for first-time attendees to the concert, the pyrotechnical display of the kaleidoscopic lighting extravaganza the event has become synonymous with was, on this occasion around, inexplicably absent during the evening segment of the show.
Image Jacob MAWELA (Brenda Mntambo limned performing at the Jazz in the Lights concert at Johannesburg Zoo on Human Rights Day).
