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IOL News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Cape Town International Jazz Festival New Dates, Bold New Vision for Africa's Grandest Music Festival
The crowd feeds off the energy brought by Masego, as the multi-instrumentalist moved around the Kippies stage at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival in March 2025. Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers The highly anticipated Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) returns to the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on March 27 and 28, 2026 — but this time, the festival marks more than just a return. It signals the start of an exciting new chapter in the life of Africa's most celebrated music event. Under the leadership of festival head, Shaakirah Adams, the festival is undergoing a powerful transformation — evolving into a year-long platform that celebrates music, fosters talent, and drives lasting social and economic impact. Black Coffee and Nduduzo Makhathini closed their 2025 show strongly, elevating the spirit of CTIJF to new heights. Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers Next Stay Close ✕ 'The Cape Town International Jazz Festival must now become a movement — one that not only showcases great music but supports the people and communities behind it. It must be inclusive, African, developmental, and deeply impactful,' said Adams. This new direction sees the CTIJF becoming a platform that extends far beyond its flagship weekend to embrace 12 months of programming, community engagement, and educational outreach. The March 2026 event will now serve as the culmination of a full music festival season, rather than the starting point. The enigmatic Lira in action at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2025. Image: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers Throughout the year, the CTIJF will present a host of initiatives, including: The Youth Jazz Series (final name to be confirmed), giving young artists opportunities to perform and develop professionally. Masterclasses and workshops by local and international music legends. Support for local musicians, with increased performance opportunities and exposure. A digital marketplace designed to help African musicians and agents connect with global festivals, promoters, and industry networks. Strategic partnerships with universities and music schools to create educational pipelines into the industry. Collaborations with sister festivals around the world, creating exchange opportunities and joint programming. Masego performing on the Kippies stage during the 22nd Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers Get your tickets to the 2026 Cape Town International Jazz Festival here. A newly appointed Advisory Panel made up of renowned musicians, producers, cultural experts, and academics from both South Africa and abroad to help steer this transformation is also in the pipeline, ensuring that the CTIJF remains artistically bold, socially relevant, and truly African in spirit. This evolution builds on the long-standing philanthropic work of festival patron, Dr Iqbal Survé and the Survé Family foundations, who for over two decades have supported music education and youth development through initiatives like Edujazz, the Sekunjalo Music Awards, the Sekunjalo Music Academy, and bursaries for emerging musicians. Sekunjalo Deputy Chairman Rayhaan Survé at the 2025 Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Image: Independent Media 'Our support for this transformation is a natural extension of our long-standing commitment to building the creative economy in South Africa,' said Dr Survé. 'The festival is not just about celebration — it's about creating jobs, inspiring youth, building the local music industry, and connecting Africa to the world.' The refreshed Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) promises to be more dynamic, more inclusive, and a powerful reflection of South Africa's rich musical tapestry — while also celebrating the African continent's growing influence on the global stage. Dr. Iqbal Survé's 17 Year Ownership and R100 million Commitment to CTIJF . The first CTIJF was held in 2005 and is recognized as the fourth-largest jazz festival in the world and the largest jazz festival on the African continent. Image: File picture: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers To build anticipation, the festival has launched a limited early bird ticket offer: enjoy 25% off 2025 ticket prices, available exclusively through Ticketmaster. Mark your calendars: March 27 and 28, 2026 — and stay tuned as the journey toward Africa's most exciting music revolution unfolds. IOL
IOL News
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Work already under way for next year's Jazz Fest in March
South African rebel singer Thandiswa Mazwai on the Kippies stage during the 22nd Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers The rhythm may have faded and the lights dimmed on this past weekend's Cape Town International Jazz Festival, but the energy is still pulsing through the city. With over 24 000 people in attendance, the Mother City was alive with music, connection, and culture - an unforgettable experience that left fans, artists, and industry leaders breathless. And just as the city starts to return to its usual tempo, espAfrika, the powerhouse organisers behind the festival, have dropped another beat: next year's festival will take place on March 27 and 28, 2026. Thousands of people from across the globe attended the CTIJF 2025 where top local and international artists took to the stage. Image: Armand Hough/Independent Newspapers Diarise it now because if this year was anything to go by, next year promises to be even more spectacular. Pulling off a festival of this magnitude was no small feat. It took grit, grace, and sheer determination - and the exceptional team of women behind the scenes delivered with brilliance. 'This year's festival was a labour of love, a celebration of resilience and a return to what we know Cape Town does best - host the world with style, sound and soul,' said Shaakirah Adams, head of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. 'The response has been overwhelming - from sold-out shows to the electric social media buzz. We are proud, we are grateful, and we are already planning how to make next year even more unforgettable. 'The response has been nothing short of phenomenal: glowing reviews, wall-to-wall crowds, and social feeds exploding with praise. But none of it would be possible without the unwavering support of our partners, sponsors, and most importantly, the vision and backing of the Survé family. As owners of the festival, the Survé family - and in particular, Rayhaan Survé, who played a critical oversight role - have been deeply involved in both planning and execution." Their commitment to the arts is not just symbolic; it's part of a far-reaching philanthropic mission that stretches across the African continent. Black Coffee and Nduduzo Makhathini closed their show strongly, elevating the spirit of CTIJF to new heights. Image: Armand Hough/Independent Newspapers 'People always asked me what the jazz festival is really about. For the first time, I don't have to tell them. On Friday, the collaboration between Nduduzo Makhatini and Black Coffee showcased jazz as the foundation that invited all genres of music onto the stage." "On Saturday, Thandiswa Mazwai led a spiritual awakening of 7 000 people, some of whom have never experienced South African culture. This past weekend captured a transition of the festival to become so much more than an event but a reconnection to cultural identity across generations, genres and demographics. " "The CTIJF truly captures all that we hope to achieve as a country,' said Rayhaan speaking on behalf of the Survé family.
IOL News
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
The Jazz Was a Prayer, and We Were the Amen
Black Coffee and Nduduzo Makhathini closed their show strongly, elevating the spirit of CTIJF to new heights. Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers By Faiez Jacobs It's been a full week since we stood shoulder to shoulder beneath red lights and ancestral drumbeats at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2025. And still, it lingers. Not the hype. Not the Instagram stories. The feeling. The texture. The truth. It lives in our bones, in our softened chests and quiet thoughts. Because what we experienced at CTIJF wasn't just a was a collective remembrance. A necessary cleansing. A deeply Cape Town communion. Acid jazz pioneers, Incognito during their stint on stage, at Thursday night's CTIJF free concert on Greenmarket Square. Image: Fuad Esack Where We Began On Thursday, I attended the People's Concert the perfect prelude. It was warm, easy, full of hugs and long-overdue greetings. It felt like a homecoming. I hadn't seen many of my comrades and old friends in years. To reconnect, to feel, to breathe in that atmosphere it meant everything. Friday night, April 25, began not just with the last rays of sun but with a shared energy, a readiness. Inside the CTICC, Lira gave us more than melody. She gave us light. She gave us affirmation. The enigmatic Lira in action at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Image: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers "Feel Good" wasn't just a hit it was a permission slip to hold joy again. "Let There Be Light" became an invocation. And when she smiled, we saw our own resilience reflected back. At Manenberg, Ramon Alexander Trio delivered a tight, rooted, unapologetically Cape set. He didn't perform for us; he played with us. Ghoema rhythms echoed stories from the Flats, vinyls spinning on Sunday afternoons, laughter around mosques and kitchens. Ramon is familiar, a brother. I say this with deep respect and gratitude. Then the energy shifted. Renowned saxophonist and composer Nubya Garcia on the Kippies stage on Saturday evening during the 22nd Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers Nubya Garcia took the Kippies stage like a spiritual warrior. Red backdrop. Braids. Sunglasses. Saxophone in hand. Yoh! Wow. She's young, fearless, and emotional —bringing power, technique, and ancestral echo into every note. She opened with 'Source', and within minutes the room was spellbound. Her set wasn't smooth. It was alive diaspora longing and ancestral defiance braided into sound. You don't dance to Nubya. You surrender. Malcolm Jiyane performing at the 22nd Cape Town Jazz Festival, which was held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). Image: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers Malcolm Jiyane Tree-O followed and I need to speak honestly here. He didn't entertain. He made us uncomfortable in the most necessary way. He reminded me of my post-'94 time at Yeoville. A trombonist, pianist, composer, and bandleader from Katlehong, he represents a new wave of South African jazz deeply rooted in Soweto's revolutionary music traditions. He played grief. He moaned put his left hand inside the piano and pulled out ghosts. "No More" wasn't a song. It was a scream from a man who's survived addiction, poverty, betrayal. It was a spiritual protest: • No more injustice. • No more pain without healing. • No more forgotten voices. • No more suffering without recognition. I closed my eyes — not to escape, but to carry the weight of it. This wasn't 'Friday night out.' This was the gut of the thing. The Kyle Shepard Trio on the Rosies stage during the 22nd Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Image: Henk Kruger / Independent Media Then came Kyle Shepherd Trio. He reached into the belly of the piano literally and plucked the strings with his bare hands. Not for show. For truth. In that moment, I witnessed: • The world above and below seen and unseen. • Control and surrender key and string. • Rationality and intuition mind and soul. • Cape Town's past and future tradition and freedom. His playing was a prayer. Sparse. Tender. Profound. 'Silence is music too,' it seemed to whisper. 'Trust the space. Let it hold you.' His fingers painted landscapes: rivers, deserts, streets, memories. I didn't overthink. I felt. Kyle once said:'I come from a place where silence was dangerous. You had to find a way to speak without words.' He isn't just a pianist. He's a healer. A memory-keeper. A spiritual architect. A dreamer of freedom. Festinos enjoying the Cape Town International Jazz Festival events at the CTICC. Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers After that, I needed DJ Masoodah. Our own soulful selector. Beloved curator. Fierce. Soft. Duidelik. She reclaimed space — for Black, Brown, Woman, Queer energy. She healed — by mixing sounds carrying ancestral memory. She connected jazz to the streets — reminding us that jazz is life, not just stage. I danced. I let go of needing to 'understand.' I felt. And I connected to everyone around me. All of us vibrating together. Because dancing together in this city, in this moment, is an act of radical joy. Masoodah is a healer. A rebel. A celebrant of spirit through sound. Then I went inside. Thandiswa Mazwai captured the audience with a powerful performance at CTIJF. Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers Thandiswa Mazwai was calling. She is not an artist. She is a movement. A mother. A priestess of the people. She didn't headline. She claimed the space. Unapologetically African. Politically militant. Spiritually rooted. Feminist and fierce. From the moment she called 'Nizalwa Ngobani?!',we were not at a concert; we were inside a ritual. Beadwork like battle armour. And truth on her tongue. She called out the AmaSellout; those who drank the revolution and pissed on its roots. I felt ashamed. But I also felt the power of the people to remember, correct, and love again. "Amanz' Amanzi" was mourning for stolen futures, poisoned water, and broken promises. She chanted 'Hela Hé' 'Call upon! Strengthen us! Witness us, ancestors!' And 'Dinekè' spiritual endowments, divine gifts. And we answered her, as congregation. "Jiki Jela" transported me back to my own political detention. Was I still in prison? Had I given up? She triggered us. Ambushed us. And we surrendered gratefully. Thousands of people from across the globe attended the CTIJF 2025 where top local and international artists took to the stage. Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers Then Came Bongisiwe Mabandla Under the bridge. Quiet space. Sacred air. Bongisiwe Mabandla, the African soul mystic. His voice holds veld loneliness, spiritual yearning, and quiet hope. He sang: • "Mangaliso" — a prayer for small miracles. • "Yaka" — calling to the absent father, or spirit. • "Zange" — mourning lost innocence. • "Ndiyakuthanda" — I love you. Simply. Deeply. • "Masiziyekelele" — Let us surrender. He didn't shout. He whispered us whole again. Not Just a Line-Up. A Lifeline. This was more than music. It was a map: • Of what we've lost. • Of what we still carry. • Of what we dream. From ghoema to gospel-infused jazz, from sweat to tears —we held joy and rage. Memory and movement. Pain and purpose. TKZee rocked the crowd with their nostalgic tracks and dynamic stage presence. Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
IOL News
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
LOOK: Global sensation Ari Lennox' debut at CTIJF 2025 leaves the crowds breathless
A night to remember with Ari Lennox and the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Image: Armand Hough A force of nature in the global scene, US-born R&B singer-songwriter sensation Ari Lennox, made her highly anticipated debut at the Cape Town International Jazz festival's finale night last night to the applause of a packed venue. It was intimacy amplified, as she took the audience on a journey with the highs and lows of her velvety voice. Earlier in the week, Lennox enjoyed all the touristy attraction of Cape Town, soaking up the sun on Clifton Fourth Beach and visiting the Two Oceans Aquarium. Her performance, on the Kippies stage, comes fresh on the news that Lennox has officially parted ways with Dreamville Records months after blasting the label on social media. According to reports, Lennox's departure has been handled quietly and she will now be releasing music solely through Interscope Records. Interscope are the sole label credited on Lennox's latest single 'Soft Girl Era'. The crowd was left wanting more: The sensational Ari Lennox wowed audiences at the CTIJF 2025's final night. Image: Fuad Esack Ari Lennox in action. Image: Fuad Esack. If her performance last night was a precursor to what fans can expect from her next chapter, hold on tight: it is nothing short of sensational. Lennox on stage is pure, unfiltered magic - a blend of soulful power, effortless charm and intoxicating authenticity. Bringing her signature blend of sultry vocals, soulful melodies and raw storytelling to the festival stage, Lennox had the crowds singing and dancing along. She was on the Kippies stage with the venue full to capacity. Screams of adoration echoed through the venue as she sang all the songs the world knows and have come to love her for. Ari Lennox moved the crowd at the CTIJF in her performance on the final night. Image: Armand Hough/Independent Newspapers And the crowds at the CTIJF 2025 final night went mad about Ari Lennox. Image: Armand Hough/Independent Newspapers From the moment she stepped into the spotlight, her rich, honeyed vocals wrapped around the audience like a warm embrace - they were now in Lennox's world and it wasn't one they wanted to leave anytime soon. Lennox describes her own voice as "vulnerable but soulful; imperfect but pretty", and it is all this and much more. Her sassy vibe and soulful - interspersed with a bit of humour - stage presence left audiences at the CTIJF wanting more. Lennox has said in multiple interviews that she is inspired by 90s and 2000s R&B singers such as Mariah Carey, Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, Whitney Houston, Aaliyah, Lauryn Hill, Mary J Blige and Toni Braxton, among many others. Ari Lennox. Ari Lennox's soulful presence on stage at the final night of the CTIJF moved the crowd. Sensational Ari Lennox. Ari Lennox on Kippies stage. Ari Lennox. In 2019, Lennox swiftly rose to fame with the release of her highly respected debut album titled Shea Butter Baby. Globally known for her contributions to RNB, Lennox has collaborated with Hip-Hop heavyweights such as Spillage Village, reggae musician Skip Marley, and featured on unforgettable songs with 6lack and Kiana Ledé. The year 2022 marked another milestone when Lennox released her next project. Titled Age/Sex/Location, the body of work features 12 songs with appearances from Lucky Daye, Chlöe, and Summer Walker. With a total run time of 41 minutes and 28 seconds, the album is filled with experiences that only Lennox knows how to share. This year, she released her latest song, Soft Girl Era, which marks the beginning of a new chapter for the RNB singer and songwriter. Freshly split from her former label, Dreamville, Ari is ready to take the next step in her career and from what we saw last night, the world has been waiting for this move of the strong, vital RnB singer. Enjoying Clifton Fourth Beach, Ari Lennox. Image: Instagram
IOL News
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Oh what a night: Masego and Incognito electrify audiences at CTIJF's first night
Masego performing on the Kippies stage on Friday evening during the 22nd Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers From the moment he started, the Cape Town crowd matched the electric energy that Masego brought to the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) stage. Men and women alike shouted, smiled and fed off his energy as the multi-instrumentalist moved around the Kippies stage. "Can I do it in the slippers?" he asked, before answering, "I'm out of them (the slippers)", and then he moonwalked across the stage, which had the audience cheering. Masego, a master of the 'trap house jazz' genre, effortlessly fuses jazz, R&B, and hip hop in his music. Born Micah Davis, this Jamaican-American multi-instrumentalist shot to global fame with the viral hit "Tadow" alongside FKJ, amassing over 200 million views on YouTube. Masego even brought out gigantic beach balls for the audience to bounce around and lead an impromptu sing-along of 'Marco-Polo'. Image: Armand Hough/Independent Newspapers His performances are immersive experiences, seamlessly blending live looping, saxophone mastery, and smooth vocals, and his set at the CTIJF was no different. Earlier, he mentioned that his return to the CTIJF stage was his first performance in a while, but he seamlessly engaged the crowd. Masego even brought out gigantic beach balls for the audience to bounce around and lead an impromptu sing-along of 'Marco-Polo'. One moment that had the ladies screaming was when he walked around with flowers and flung them into the crowd. Those who were quick enough to snatch them were jumping up and down enthusiastically. Men and women alike shouted, smiled and fed off his energy as the multi-instrumentalist moved around the Kippies stage on Friday evening. Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers Masego performing on the Kippies stage on Friday evening during the 22nd Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers Ntokozo Fuku was in the audience for Masego's performance and said it was amazing. 'I'd have to say that that was one of the most amazing moments of my life. I've never been so happy. 'It's honestly so mind-blowing (to see him). His energy was over the top - phenomenal… Like he is singing to me, which he was,' Fuku said. A little later in the evening, Incognito brought their signature blend of jazz, funk, and British acid jazz to the CTIJF stage. Since their inception in 1979, the band has defined the acid jazz movement, delivering global hits like "Still a Friend of Mine" and their legendary rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing'. British acid jazz pioneers Incognito ignited the Manenberg stage during the first night of the CTIJF 2025. Image: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers Bandleader Jean-Paul Maunick said that the performance at the CTIJF stage in Cape Town was in some ways a homecoming performance for him, as he was born in Mauritius. The band drew a large audience of young and old people who came to listen to their hits. Several politicians and the chairman of the Sekunjalo Group, Dr Iqbal Survé, were spotted among the crowd. At last year's festival, the Survé Family announced its further commitment of R100 million to the festival's sustainability and long-term cultural investment. Dr Survé, along with many others in the crowd, was grooving along and enjoying the intricate musical arrangements, which had infectious grooves. 'Incognito was simply marvellous — their performance was nothing short of captivating. Seeing them live and in person was an absolute treat; the energy, the talent, and the vibe they brought to the stage made it an unforgettable experience,' Dr Survé said.
