Chronicle Editor
Melissa Mpofu, Showbiz Editor
Following the realisation that there are not many jazz events in the country, organisers of the successful Ngoma Nehosho Festival have come up with what they have termed the Jabulani Jazz Festival.
The event which is being organised in partnership with Unesco, Hyundai Zimbabwe, Old Mutual and CredSure will be staged virtually because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Fast-rising songstress, Mimmie Tarukwana from Bulawayo is among those who have been entrusted to pave the way by getting a slot on the show.
In a statement, event organisers said the inaugural edition will air on the Ngoma Nehosho Facebook page tomorrow from 7PM, a day the world will be commemorating International Jazz Day.
“This year, Unesco celebrates 10 years of this amazing showcase (International Jazz Day) and we are proud to join the rest of the world in uniting people through music. With the help and assistance of Unesco in partnership with Hyundai Zimbabwe, Old Mutual and Credsure, the Jabulani Jazz Festival will feature three young musicians, Sylent Nqo, TakaNeMachinda and Mimmie Tarukwana, all from Zimbabwe,” event organisers said.
Before the festival kicks off on Friday, artist development workshops for musicians, music managers, and music producers among others will be held today.
“We believe educating and sharing of knowledge among creatives plays a key role in growing our creative economy in Zimbabwe. The panel of speakers will include booking agents, festival directors, jazz artist managers and media practitioners from South Africa, Zimbabwe, USA, Spain and Senegal. This is an opportunity for artists to ask questions about how they can improve their craft and get more information on the entertainment industry as a whole,” organisers said.
There will be two sessions for the workshop with the first one being a financial education workshop that will be facilitated by Kudzai Mubaiwa (representing Old Mutual). It will start at midday on the Ngoma Nehosho Facebook page. The Unesco creative community workshop will be the second workshop of the day and it will run under the theme: “Gateway to the Global stage and growing the Creative Economy”.
“This workshop is designed to help those in the arts sector to discover paths and opportunities in the global creative economy. Lessons from established music business professionals on how to get booked, signed, airplay, tour, managed, and digital income streams so as to effectively take part in the global creative economy will be learned.
“This workshop will again be available virtually on the Ngoma Nehosho Facebook Page from 3PM.”
Speakers will include Ignacio Priego, a music consultant from Spain; Allan Sixpence – operations manager of CredSure Zimbabwe; Katherine McVicker – founder and director of Music Works International from USA and Dudu Sarr – Youssou N’Dour’s manager and founder of Dakar Music Market from Senegal.
Other speakers are Munya Chanetsa – A&R manager for Sony ATV Music Publishing Africa; Josiah Kusena – deputy director National Arts Council of Zimbabwe and Marcus Gora – Mokoomba manager and Jacaranda Music Festival manager. ZiFM Stereo personality, So Profound will be the moderator.
Organisers of the festival said they hope to stage the event annually as they want it to carry on as a hybrid festival permanently. Explaining how they came up with the concept of the jazz festival, organisers said it was from the success of the diverse Jacaranda Music Festival that has been staged in Harare for the past few years, but with little jazz music.
“The Jacaranda Festival saw us having over 10 000 people attending the festival physically over three days where we had several genres of music featured from hip hop, pop to reggae, but never enough jazz.
“It was then we decided that the jazz genre needed its own stage and after extensive consultation, a decision was made to create a festival that would celebrate the mother of all music genres – hence the formation of the Jabulani Jazz Festival.”
Online Reporter