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Cape Town - A South African journalist's summary of the Standard Bank Joy of Joy Festival has come under fire - leaving jazz enthusiasts up in arms.
Patience Bambelele, a journalist for The Sowetan was accused of being unable to notice the great line-up of local and international jazz cats who featured at this year's event.
The bitter taste left in the mouth of readers has since been spat out through a letter of complaint in response to Bambelele's piece.
The crux of the upheaval detailed in the letter written by treasurer of EThekwini Jazz Appreciation Society, Mamsie Ntshangase is that "writers should not underestimate the impact the music event has on South African jazz lovers and artists - who annually travel all the way to SA for the joy of jazz".
"The society of professionals who have great interests in jazz; say that they strive to promote good jazz and local talent to the rest of South Africa. In a letter of appeal, they stated that having attended the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival, which took place on 24-26 September, it had a ‘stupendous’ lineup.
"The
festival delivered four stages of world-famous jazz singers and
instrumentalists for the weekend.
Bambelele's
article describes the event as "lukewarm" and according to her,
Marcus Miller, 3 Cohens, our very own Jimmy Dludlu, Nduduzo Makhatini, Hugh
Masekela and so many, more lacked lustre.
Ntshangase
said in his letter that the honourable artists at these events that help keep
the jazz tradition alive in SA.
Ntshangase
went on to ask if it was “lukewarm because there was no Mafikizolo, Big Nuz, or
DJ so and so ?”
"Her review forgot to mention that it was a jazz festival."
According the Ntshangase, the fact that stars from other genres of music, such as; Peabo Bryson, William Parker, Simphiwe Dana and Oliver Mtukudzi came for the joy of jazz too is a big thing. This was an opportunity for their fans to be exposed to a wider variety of sounds, and hopefully learn to appreciate it.
Ntshangase said that the jazz scene is alive and well in South Africa. Top students are being drawn overseas, straight after graduating. Their burning (hot / cool) style, flair, interpretations and most importantly their sound continues to draw the attention of the world.
Ntshangase concluded by asking promoters to give jazz the respect it needs and embrace a really good thing while we have it.
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