CLASSES of jazz music will share the stage at a fund-raising event to support the Sacred Heart Secondary School which will be held on the premises of this school in Osindweni, Verulam on May 2 from 3 pm.
Among the artists who will be dancing together is Selaelo Selota, famous for the song Thrrr Phaaa! and music stars who are now doctors due to education Xolisa Dlamini, Mash Mashiloane and Natalie Rungan. The promoter of this event, Atlas Duma, said that one of the main purposes of it is to celebrate the International Jazz Day.
“In the series of annual jazz celebrations, this year the Sagiya Foundation has gathered the best of this music to celebrate this day by donating a portion of the profits that will be made from this music festival at Sacred Heart Secondary.”
Atlas said that tying doctors to music means increasing the level of this music, making it world class as it is promoted by UNESCO and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz in London.
“We will remember that the Inaugural KZN International Jazz Festival had great excitement in 2023 when it brought overseas stars including Richard Bona (USA) and Yayoi Ikawa (Japan).”
Atlas said that other stars who are academics in jazz music who will be performing at the event are Mthobisi Mthalane who teaches music at Sacred Heart and is famous for his music The Sorrow of Man Black, Vincent Mtetwa who is famous for the song Judgement Day he is also a jazz scholar who was trained at Technikon Natal and UKZN and taught there for a few years before going overseas.
“There will also be Sifiso Khanyile from Pietermaritzburg but now based in Johannesburg. He will be releasing his new album.”
A young lady who recently graduated from jazz studies at UKZN, Thembalethu Bhengu, said it was precious to her to share such a big platform with musicians she respects a lot and some of them were her music teachers at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Tickets are now available at Pick n Pay and Boxer for R200 to R1 000 and those entering with cooler boxes need to add R150.