South Africa hails its own at Cape Town festival

It was as if the whole of Cape Town had descended on the Kippies music venue when South African jazz great, Hugh Masekela, and his band took their turn at the just-ended 16th Cape Town Jazz Festival in South Africa.

The audience had expected Oliver Mtukudzi to play alongside Masekela but the great Zimbabwean guitarist could not make it due to delays in acquiring a South African visa. That, however, did not take anything away from the concert.

The veteran trumpet and flugel horn player danced to thrill the big crowd which gladly sang along with him on some of the songs. 

The heart-warming reception was not reserved for Masekela alone at the two-day jazz festival, as the young and old of both sexes came in their numbers to hail their music stars. 

Other acts from the Rainbow Nation such as Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Mahotella Queens, Victor Masondo, Ringo Madlingozi,   and Madala Kunene were all hailed at their various performances and President Jacob Zuma was in the audience to see saxophonist, Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse, play.  

The jazz festival featured about 40 acts from South Africa, United States, Poland, United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden, India and Switzerland.

The power of the arts as a tool for attracting tourists was evident at the jazz festival. Music lovers from all over the world timed their visit to Cape Town to coincide with the festival and also see other world-class attractions such as the Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and wine-making estates. 

An official of South African Tourism,  the national agency responsible for the marketing of South Africa as a preferred tourist destination said they recognise the Cape Town jazz experience as  essential in pulling people annually over to the Mother City, as Cape Town is sometimes referred to.