The Sunday Mail
Prince Mushawevato
THE annual Winter Jazz Festival makes a return this year following its re-branding to The Time and Jazz Music Festival, The Sunday Mail Leisure has learnt.
The event failed to take place last year after losing its appeal following the 2014 closure of Jazz 105, which was literally the festival’s base and engine. However, organiser and director of the event, Josh Hozheri, told this publication that he has been working flat out to guarantee the event returns bigger and better.
The Time and Jazz Music Festival will be held next month from May 18 to May 20 at the Cresta Oasis car park. Hozheri, who is also the organiser of Women in Jazz Festival notes the opening of Time and Jazz Café following the closure of his Jazz 105, has helped “revive the old Jazz 105 days” for the mature patrons and eventually the rebirth of the music festival.
The charismatic promoter adds the coming on board of new partners has made the organisational aspect of the jazz festival stress-free. “The official launch of The Time and Jazz Music Festival will be on May 18 and the event will run for three days. The event previously ran as the Winter Jazz Festival,” said Hozheri who is also affectionately known as Big Josh.
“The festival is being organised in association with Cresta Oasis Hotel. Those coming and staying at the hotel are going to enjoy accommodation and food at special rates.” In previous editions, the music festival was spread across town in venues like Jazz 105, City Sports Centre, Book Café and Dandaro Inn.
But this time around, the former proprietor of Jazz 105 will be hosting the entire festival at a single joint. Explains Hozheri: “We opened Time and Jazz Café at Cresta Oasis last year with the hope to move the jazz genre forward thus we will be hosting jazz festivals that will provide platforms for unheralded artistes to showcase their talents.
“Equally we will use that opportunity to market our joint (Time and Jazz Café) to those that do not know the place and what it stands for. Thus, the entire festival will be held at the car park (Cresta Oasis),” explained Hozheri. “Revellers should not worry about parking. We are working something out with the local authority, which will see some space in the streets being freed for us.”
Now in its 16th year, the jazz festival has in the past attracted international artistes like Hugh Masekela from South Africa. Artistes and groups that are likely to perform at this year’s festival include veterans Max Vidima, Louis Mhlanga, The Jazz Veterans fronted by Gina Kapfunde, Alexio Kawara, Victor Kunonga, Prince Edward and St Georges School Jazz Bands, Selmor Mtukudzi, Garry Tight, David Hondoyedzomba, Edith WeUtonga, Sam Dondo etcetera.
High-flying Jah Prayzah and Dendera crooner Suluman “Sulu” Chimbetu are coming in as guest artistes. “The traditional location of the festival has changed and so has the approach. We are looking at current trends and trying to fuse that with traditional jazz.
The young generation (below 36) in our country now represent close to 70 percent of our population and their interests cannot be ignored. “Thus, we are bringing Jah Prayzah and Sulu as commercial artistes to the festival. Either Max Vidima or Louis Mhlanga will be our headline act but I will only be able to confirm the actual position later,” said Hozheri.
The Winter Jazz Festival was established in 1999 at Sports Diner before moving to Jazz 105. The thrust of the event was to bring jazz artistes and experts together, develop the artistes and the genre in general.Since its establishment, the event has been run under many themes. These were designed to capture important aspects in the country’s jazz music. Some of the themes include “Celebrating Our Own Jazz”, “Jazz is Not a State of Mind, It is a Fact of Life” and “Back to Township Jazz”.
