Thandeka Dladla has been spending some time in Joburg over the past week or so working on different things including an incredible performance in Melville last night.

She joins us this afternoon as we wrap up her tour, talking about that experience and some of the interesting things she has been up to…

Vocalist and fellow West Rand native Thandeka Dladla, Chats to us.

It is the 25th edition and in true Joy of Jazz style, it is going to be spectacular, joining us in studio to talk more about the festival is the ever stylish and effervescent CEO of Johanneburg’s favourite festival.

Please welcome back Mantwa Chinoamadi who is better known as Miz Mantwa

Our guest is a jazz pianist, composer and author who introduced the first university jazz course in Africa in 1984 and established the internationally famous Centre for Jazz & Popular Music on the Durban campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Throughout this time he toured internationally leading professional and student groups and playing with some of South Africa’s top musicians.

Together with his wife, Catherine they wrote a memoir, about their 23 years in South Africa.

“Playing the changes” which is also a documentary, examines why and how jazz had such a transformative role in different societies such as (post-)Soviet Poland and Mandela’s South Africa

The documentary is coming to our shores and you and I get the front row seat.

As we draw closer to International Jazz Day 2024, many festival goers are headed to various music festivals and gatherings which, we have been talking about here on the k jazz show, including the cape town international jazz festival which takes place this week.

And as part of the run up to this gathering we are joined by one of the acts that will be gracing the stages.

Matt Bianco is a collective that was formed in the 80s by Mark Reilly and the former members have included the late bassist Kito Poincioni and vocalist Basia.

Frontman Mark Reilly talks to us.

In what is shaping up to be one of the best line-ups in a history of outstanding programmes, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) is pulling out all the stops to ensure that its comeback on 3 and 4 May 2024, is one to be enjoyed and remembered. 

Staying true to its roots of providing the performance space for a mixture of established and bright new talent, this year’s festival will showcase African music royalty alongside their international counterparts.

Of course, the return of the festival is what is currently on everyones lips, including it’s eclectic line up so joining us this morning to answer all your festino questions, spokesperson for the Cape Town International Festival Ms Kaz Henderson ahead of Africa’s grandest gathering.

A dynamic jazz ensemble from Stellenbosch in the Western Cape is on the rise.

This quintet has been around to almost a year, and already has already made a considerable impact on the jazz scenes of Stellenbosch and Cape Town.

They believe in authenticity and embracing each other’s the diverse backgrounds, creating a unique musical experience.

Pianist, Melisizwe Plaatjie, Bassist Dillon Cornelius, Classic guitarist Aubrey Jr Matsila including Drummer Stuart Martin and Saxophonist Mark Lynch are the “Sun Quintet” and they joined us for “Page Three” this Sunday.

Extraordinary” Jazz musician, pianist and composer, who is considered a leading exponent of ‘Cape Jazz’ and has worked with a number of top shelf musicians, including Robbie Jansen, McCoy Mrubata, and Terumasa Hino.

Ramon Alexander has two albums to his credit and has produced several recording projects, he is an educator in jazz piano and currently mentoring Prince Albert’s very own, Karoo Jazz Project.

A student of classical music and word on the street is that he is also a wine maker.

For Hour Africa, this morning, he talks to us ahead of the upcoming Journey to Jazz Festival touching on his work with the youth jazz band of the Karoo.

Our musical guest this week, released his second project “I Am, Who Am” which was a follow up from the debut album One Step' Forward which he released in 2004.

This album talks about his musical experience and the journey that he travelled up to this point.

It is a project that gave him more insight of how the industry works not just as a performer.

Flash forward and the year is 2023, Queenstown based bassist Mlungisi Gegana released his 3rd project “My Space, My Time” and ahead of his Joburg tour he joins us in conversation about this new offering and what you, can look forward to as he comes by our neighbourhood.

McCoy Mrubata is a South African elder in Jazz, Saxophonist,Flautist, Composer and Bandleader whose new album hits the scene on the 5th of April 2024 and, I spent some time with him and we reflected about his life in Jazz, the new project and what you can look forward to in this new chapter he calls “ Lullaby for Khayoyo”

Our guest is a talented atmospheric pianist, producer and educator who’s worked with Lawrence Matshiza, Hugh Masekela including the popular band Stimela and has also released solo projects of his own.

Fascinated by the IsiSwati rhythm heritage, he wants to fuse this with with modern technology to further elevate the African sonic to a place where the global community can appreciate and celebrate even further.

Naturally, I was intrigued by this stance and as always I let the curiosity get the better of me and we have invited him to join us this week to explore this story and also get to know his life in music.