SA: UKZN to celebrate International Jazz Day with five-day festival programme

The series coincides with UNESCO’s global initiative to recognise jazz as a force for peace and dialogue. This year’s programme adopts the theme Who’s Got the Map?, drawn from South African jazz pianist Andile Yenana’s seminal 2005 album, which marks its 20th anniversary in 2025. The theme invites audiences to reflect on the direction of society amid growing global uncertainty.

“Jazz has always been about questions,” Centre for Jazz and Popular Music director, Neil Gonsalves, said. “Andile Yenana asked the question, ‘Who’s got the map?’ It’s a philosophical question worth pondering, especially in a time of rapid and unprecedented change. Jazz reflects democracy. It honours the individual, but always in service of the group. Let’s come together through jazz, to remind ourselves of the values it espouses.”

The festival features performances at multiple venues in Durban, showcasing both renowned and emerging voices in South African jazz. Highlights include faculty and student ensemble performances, solo showcases, and community-centred events that speak to jazz’s ability to capture both personal and collective emotion.

Key events in the programme include Vocal Showcase (30 April) at the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music, featuring acclaimed jazz vocalist and educator Natalie Rungan alongside UKZN Jazz Vocalists, Bean Bag Jazz Club (2 May) presents an innovative solo set by composer-pianist Burton Naidoo, known for exploring memory and imagination through sound and Dukkah (4 May) will host a community-driven performance by UKZN student ensembles, raising funds for their participation in the National Arts Festival in Makhanda.

The celebrations also include a series of live-streamed discussions featuring industry experts, who will explore the evolving role of jazz in contemporary culture, education, and promotion. These online sessions will take place on 28 April, 1 May, and 2 May at 11am, via the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music’s Facebook page.

Later in May, the programme will conclude with a performance by legendary pianist Melvin Peeters at Hue Café (date to be confirmed), as well as a dedicated Guitar Showcase highlighting the instrument’s place in jazz tradition.

Supported by the KwaZulu-Natal Performing Arts Trust (KZNPAT), the festival reaffirms a collective commitment to nurturing South African musical talent and preserving the spirit of jazz as a vehicle for dialogue, expression, and transformation.