Jill Scott, Cheikh Lo confirmed for South African Int'l Jazz Festival - Grammy award-winning American singer Jill Scott has been confirmed as the headline act at this year's Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Organisers of the event said Scott was signed up following the death of jazz legend Victor Antoni who was due to perform at the festival.
Scott’s 2000 multi-platinum selling debut, 'Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1', follow ups 'Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2' released in 2004, and 'The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3', released in 2007, all achieved gold status.
Senegalese artist Cheikh Lo, Jimmy Dludlu, the UK's acid jazz act the Brand New Heavies, US jazz artists Jack DeJohnette, Ravi Coltrane and Matt Garrison, and Robert Glasper will also be among the performers at the event which takes place at a number of venues in Cape Town on 5-6 April.
Organisers said Scott was signed up as the headline act last year but was forced to withdraw from the festival due to other commitments.
The annual event is the highlight of South Africa's jazz calendar, featuring both local and international stars.
“Jazz and popular music luminaries from every continent will be represented at this year’s event in keeping with our ever-growing standing as one of the world’s major music gatherings, and Africa’s premier lifestyle event. We are also extremely proud that this year, half our line up hails from Africa,” said event organiser Rashid Lombard.
Meanwhile, President Jacob Zuma has extended his deepest condolences to the family and friends of Victor Ntoni.
'Our music industry has yet again been robbed of an icon that was instrumental in promoting and making jazz music popular in our country. Ntoni gave his best to the industry, and also invested a lot in promoting South African music and empowering up and coming musicians. May his soul rest in peace,' said Zuma.
Ntoni who was born in Langa, Cape Town, had a career which spanned more than 40 years. He started out as a singer with a group known as the Dollar Brand and went on to study to be a bassist at the famous Berklee School of Music in Boston in the United States.
Pana 30/01/2013