Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2012

Lauryn Hill who will be the closing act tonight

Musicians and music lovers alike are lapping up the sounds and festivities of the annual Cape Town International Jazz Festival, which began at the Cape Town International Convention Centre last night, drawing massive crowds and seeing motorists caught in gridlocked traffic.

Festival director Rashid Lombard said he was delighted with the variety of the line-up.

“Audiences are enjoying a sensational mix of world-renowned icons and top quality rising stars, local and international, young and old, male and female,” he said, adding that some exciting collaborations were also wooing the crowds.

The festival started as usual with a free concert on Greenmarket Square on Wednesday, when those who couldn’t get their hands on the highly sought-after tickets enjoyed performances by the likes of HHP, Dave Koz, Patti Austin, Allen Stone and the Western Cape Education Department’s All Stars.

All the festival’s shows are sold out, and organisers have estimated that about 34 000 will attend this year’s event, which ends tonight.

The festival’s scoop, and last-minute replacement act Lauryn Hill is set to close the event at 10.45pm on the Kippies stage.

The festival features roughly a 50/50 split between artists from Africa and international acts.

Last night, popular motswako rapper Hip Hip Pantsula (HHP or Jabulani Tsambo) opened the outside Bassline stage. Motswako is a Tswana-language based form of rap which mixes Hip Hop with other genres.

HHP performed with female bass guitarist Tebogo Sedumedi.

At the festival media conference before the concert yesterday, he described motswako as a mixture that includes rap, gospel, jazz and soul.

“Hip hop is the mouthpiece, but jazz is the primary influence of hip hop,” he said.

Sedumedi, his bassist, said being a female instrumentalist playing motswako music enabled her to enact a “different vibe and touch” to the music.

Known to usually deliver upbeat performances, HHP joked that his energy comes from below his belly button.

“I never know why we get asked to perform at these gigs. I think it is because organisers want us to entertain their kids while they listen to orthodox musicians,” he said.

Another big act performing last night was US saxophonist Dave Koz, with Patti Austin singing on some of his tracks. Austin performs again this evening on the festival’s Rosies stage.

Koz is happy to be performing in SA.

“I love it here so much. I am honoured to be back.

“Music here is off the charts, I love hearing other musicians.

“The fan base for jazz in the US is ‘mature’. It is incredible to see young people here loving jazz,” he said.

Austin has been very busy at the festival. Between last night and tonight, she has three performances.

“You are going to be sick of me by the end of the week,” the American singer joked.