Mitchells Plain gets jazzed up

By Ilhaam Hoosain
30 March 2008

The Cape Town International Jazz Festival has ended, but the jazz continues when The Manhattans perform at a free concert in Mitchells Plain on Sunday.

This being an initiative of the provincial government and the national department of arts and culture to get young people to live motivated lives free of drugs, gangs and alcohol.

Local guitar legend Jimmy Dludlu, South African favourites Hip Hop Pantsula and Zola, as well as contemporary jazz pioneers Najee will also be performing.

What’s in store for 2009

“We are already planning for 2009. We are obviously looking at a bumper line-up.

“One of the artists I work on every year is Carlos Santana. We have been talking to him and it’s just a matter of agreeing on a fee. And when I say we talk to him, I mean we talk management we don’t talk to him directly so it’s a bit difficult to get a very good deal,” says Director of the Jazz Festival, Rashied Lombard.

He goes on to say that the only way they can do it is if they can play two concerts with him in Cape Town, one before at a lower price for the masses and then at the festival.

He added that Santana can play in another two or three cities in South Africa to make it economically viable because he is an extremely expensive artist.

The concert starts at 10am at the Swartklip sports complex in Tafelsig.