Jazz lovers looking for a different way to spend Heritage Day are in for a treat, with a new free public concert set to bring the sounds of the next generation to the Sandton City Rooftop on September 24.
Dubbed Free the Jazz, the concert will take place on Heritage Day, ahead of the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival, which runs from September 25 to 26 at the Sandton Convention Centre.
The new initiative is designed to create a more accessible entry point into the jazz world, particularly for younger audiences, while giving emerging and independent artists an opportunity to share the stage with established names and cultural influencers.
Rather than being confined to traditional jazz sounds, the event will explore a broad musical landscape, including neo-soul, jazz fusion, experimental sounds and DJ culture.
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Among the performers is Jazz Maestro Sbu, winner of the #JazzReignited DJ search competition launched by Joy of Jazz in recent months. Experimental music collective The Brother Moves On will also perform, bringing their distinctive fusion of jazz and Afro-rock to the rooftop.
The line-up further includes DJ and producer DJ Castro, young jazz vocalist, songwriter and composer Bokang Ramatlapeng, trumpeter Robin Fassie, and DJs and radio personalities The Jazzaholics, featuring Nothemba Madumo and Nonn Botha.
Popular jazz group Kids Love Jazz will also take to the stage
The event comes at a time when the jazz ecosystem continues to evolve, with younger audiences discovering the genre through contemporary sounds, DJs and experimental musicians.
Free the Jazz seeks to tap into that changing landscape by creating a space where students, young professionals, creatives, industry professionals and lifelong jazz lovers can experience different interpretations of the genre in an informal setting.
The concert will also bring together several jazz platforms and organisations that support the broader ecosystem, including Kids Love Jazz, Sankayi Jazz Series, Hugh’s Jazz Club, Jozi Gold, Untitled Basement, Umanyano Lwe Jazz Festival and SAMPRA.
For audiences, the day promises more than music. Food stalls and bar facilities will be available, with the rooftop setting providing a relaxed environment in which to celebrate Heritage Day and South Africa’s diverse cultural expression.
The initiative also speaks to the importance of creating sustained opportunities for emerging musicians. While Joy of Jazz has built its reputation around bringing international icons and leading home-grown artists to Johannesburg, Free the Jazz puts the spotlight on artists who represent the future of the local jazz scene.
By opening the concert to the public at no cost, organisers hope to remove some of the barriers that can prevent younger audiences from engaging with live jazz and Johannesburg’s wider cultural ecosystem.
With its mix of live instrumentation, DJs, experimental sounds and young talent, Free the Jazz offers a contemporary take on what a jazz celebration can look and sound like.
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And for those simply looking for something to do on Heritage Day, it presents an opportunity to discover the artists who could become the future voices of the genre.
The Free the Jazz concert takes place on September 24 at the Sandton City Rooftop. Entry is free. The Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival follows on September 25 and 26 at the Sandton Convention Centre.
- Free the Jazz is a free public concert taking place on Heritage Day, September 24, at the Sandton City Rooftop.
- The concert features emerging and independent jazz artists, including Jazz Maestro Sbu, The Brother Moves On, DJ Castro, Bokang Ramatlapeng, Robin Fassie, and The Jazzaholics.
- The event explores diverse musical styles such as neo-soul, jazz fusion, experimental sounds, and DJ culture, aimed at younger audiences and jazz enthusiasts.
- Several jazz platforms and organisations such as Kids Love Jazz, Sankayi Jazz Series, and Umanyano Lwe Jazz Festival will support the event.
- The Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival will follow on September 25 and 26 at the Sandton Convention Centre.
