Jazz lovers, join the celebrations! The 25th Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival is just around the corner, and to mark this milestone, Standard Bank is hosting a free concert on 26 September at Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton.
Titled Follow the Blue Note – Jazz in the Square, this concert is the final event in the Follow the Blue Note Series, which has been a lead-up to the main festival.
The concert will be headlined by saxophonist and 2020 Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz, Sisonke Xonti’s quintet, featuring trombone player, vocalist, lyricist, songwriter, and 2016 Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz, Siya Makuzeni; the Cape Town-based afro-jazz band Kujenga; and DJ Castro.
Besides enjoying a great performance, attendees can bring their own jazz instruments and voices to participate in an impromptu jam session.
The Group Head of Sponsorship at Standard Bank, Bonga Sebesho, explained that the “blue note” is a special note in jazz, and the “blue” bank found it fitting to create a series of events leading up to the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival.
“South African audiences are renowned for their enthusiastic participation in live concerts, and these blue note events are about mobilising jazz and music lovers. Jazz on the Square is a way to give music lovers a taste of top-class jazz and to celebrate the festival’s legacy and heritage,” says Sebesho.
The event also aims to boost local businesses at Nelson Mandela Square, which will remain accessible to surrounding restaurants when the area is cordoned off for the concert.
Entry is free and the event will start at 6:00 p.m. at Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton.
The Follow the Blue Note & All That Jazz events celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz by showcasing the interconnectedness of various art forms, emphasizing partnerships, and highlighting Standard Bank’s support for the arts over the past 40 years.
Previous Follow the Blue Note & All That Jazz events include Poetry, Vinyls & All That Jazz at Momo Kuro in Rosebank; Art & All That Jazz hosted at Momo Outskirts Gallery at the Cradle of Humankind; and Photography, Cultural Connections & All That Jazz at the residence of the US Consul in Johannesburg.
The Standard Bank Joy of Jazz takes place on 27 and 28 September 2024 at the Sandton International Convention Centre. It features six stages showcasing the best jazz musicians from across Africa and the world: the Dinaledi Stage, the Conga Stage, the Diphala Stage, the Mbira Stage, the Lounge Stage, and the Jazzy Joburg Market Stage that takes place on Sunday on the Sandton City Rooftop.
Tickets are available at Ticketmaster and Full Ticket Prices are:
1x DAY PASS is = R1050
2xDAY PASS is = R1950
