Windhoek Jazz Festival is back in November  

The event will feature such artists as Zonke (South Africa), The Soil (South Africa) and Catarina Duarte (Portugal). They will be joined by local musicians Lize Ehlers, Elemotho, Suzy Eises, Percival Rinquest, Sigera Jazz Band, Sedney Haufiku and Damas Fusion.

“This is the only platform dedicated for the promotion of the jazz genre in the country,” festival organiser Lydia Amutenya told Music In Africa. “The genre is very limited all over the world and Namibia is no exemption, meaning we have very few artists who play jazz.

“However, we acknowledge that our artists every year prove their capabilities and deliver on their promise. With Windhoek Jazz Festival, we continue to encourage artists to pursue this genre further because there is a market for it Namibia and beyond.”

Amutenya said the festival was an important event on the Namibian calendar. “The festival is of a great magnitude; it attracts a lot of fans from Namibia and beyond. While it may come with its own set of challenges, we view them as opportunities that needs to be explored further to improve the event.

“For example, we encounter difficulties in sourcing pure jazz artists. Not that they are not available in the world, but we are unable to afford them in most cases. We therefore believe this is an opportunity for us as organisers for this premier festival to strategise and perhaps consider partnering with organisers of similar events on the continent to see how we can collaborate in this regard.”

Namibian saxophonist Suzy Eises said she was delighted to play at the event.

“I am very excited once again to perform at another jazz festival and share the joy of jazz music to all who enjoy and appreciate this art," she said. "It is a very special time of the year for me as I share music that is about connecting people.

“The Windhoek Jazz Festival is the only jazz festival that happens once a year in Namibia. It's a great way for jazz musicians to express themselves for the healing of others, and also a great event for jazz lovers to have an opportunity to experience the jazz live.”

Asked what fans can expect from her performance, Eises said: “We are still working on the repertoire for this festival and my focus for this year's festival is to share more about who I am as a musician in my music. I will perform songs from my album, but also popular jazz tunes and arrange them in my own way. It will be emotional, exciting and spirit-filled.”

Renowned local singer Elemotho echoed Eises' sentiments. “I have performed at Windhoek Jazz Festival before, so this will not be my first time,” he said. “I am a big fan of summer festivals and I am excited to perform for my home crowd.

“I performed at the festival about four years ago alongside late trumpet maestro Hugh Masekela. He was nice enough to tell me to keep pushing. That coming from a fellow pan-African musician was a big deal for me.”

Elemotho said the event added value to the jazz scene in Namibia. “It is a big deal for music in general and also for showcasing local jazz talent while at the same time exposing the audience to some top-quality local and international jazz.”