27th Annual Jazz Jol at UKZN

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UKZN’s Centre for Jazz and Popular Music hosted its highly anticipated 27th Annual Jazz Jol featuring Tu Nokwe on guitar and vocals backed by Bheki Khoza (guitar), UKZN Jazz Lecturer Neil Gonsalves (piano), Mandla Zikalala (bass), and Sbu Zondi (drums).

Proceeds from the show went to the Ronnie Madonsela Scholarship which assists disadvantaged Jazz students at UKZN with financial aid or support.

The Scholarship also provides bursaries for deserving students and also funds students’ travel and accommodation to the National Youth Jazz Festival in Grahamstown and other educational festivals, workshops and conferences.

Gonsalves said: ‘The annual Jazz Jol is the highlight of the jazz performance calendar at UKZN and one of the premier jazz events in the province. Now in its 27^th year, it has a long tradition of serving as the main fundraising event for the Ronnie Madonsela Scholarship.

‘Besides this vital function, the Jazz Jol also brings world class artists to the Centre’s stage, and this year we were proud to present Tu Nokwe and Bheki Khoza, who fuse their brand of jazz so wonderfully with various Zulu music traditions.

‘In addition we celebrated the accomplishments and astonishing talent of our students and alumni, by hosting young guitar master, Sebastian Goldswain, who has just released his debut CD, Pictures of a Thousand Words. His band includes fellow UKZN alumni, Ildo Nandja on bass and Sidney Rash on drums,’ he said.

Tu Nokwe, who performed numbers from her hit albums, Inyakanyaka, and African Child, is an iconic figure in the entertainment industry in South Africa.

She has extensive international touring experience and has collaborated with musicians in song writing, performance and music workshops in various countries.

Melissa Mungroo