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Arts Correspondent
New entertainment joint Jazz 24/7, which is situated at the former Jazz 105 venue, is set to open tonight with a show featuring a mixed line-up of entertainers. The official opening comes barely two weeks after former Jazz 105 owner Josh Hozheri opened another jazz joint, Time and Jazz Café, at Cresta Oasis hotel and the developments should be exciting for jazz musicians that were lamenting the closure of their performance spaces in the city centre.Former Jazz 105 manager Yassin Dhala is leading management at Jazz 24/7 that is likely to take a new approach to shows and other events.
He said they will have Suluman Chimbetu, Mbeu, Alexio Kawara and Sam Dondo performing at the opening ceremony tonight.
“Sulu and Mbeu will be the main actors of the event while Alexio and Sam will be guest artistes. We will have shows periodically at the venue, but our main aim is to provide a serene environment for jazz lovers where they can come and relax listening to good music.
“We will also have top class jazz DJs in the venue everyday and we want to make a difference on the entertainment scene,” said Dhala.
“I worked at this same venue under a different company and I am familiar with everything around here so it is like coming back home.
“We have just made a few structural changes to create more space for our patrons. We have set up a new stage for performances and we have also created a VIP bar.
“We are targeting new clients because we are a new player in the industry and we believe they will like our set up.”
Yasin comes to Jazz 24/7 after resigning from the same post at Divine Assignments’ City Sports Bar where a massive farewell party was held for him last Monday.
He said the coming in of more jazz places in the city centre should provide jazz lovers and musicians with more options, which makes the industry competitive and exciting.
Although the venue’s primary focus is jazz, Dhala said they will bring in other upmarket non-jazz artistes while their bigger target is to host international jazz musicians on several occasions.
Sulu and Alexio regularly performed at the venue when it was still Jazz 105 and they are used to the place.
They both welcomed the opening of the venue that was closed for a long time and they promised to welcome patrons of the new venue with classic entertainment.
Online Reporter