AWARD-WINNING jazz guitarist and singer Brian Nhanhanga is set to grab attention at the inaugural Manicaland Jazz Festival scheduled for April 30 at the Micasa Pub where several established and up-and-coming artistes will take part.
Nhanhanga, famed for the award-winning jazz instrumental Matida Hostel and now a teacher at the Zimbabwe Music Crossroads Academy, will be out to offer more than a performance at the event.
Carol Makoni, provincial arts administrator National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ), Manicaland, said the festival would coincide with the International Jazz Day which is a United Nations observance celebrated annually on April 30. The day is meant to create awareness on the importance of jazz music.
The festival is the brainchild of NACZ.
“The Manicaland Jazz Festival intends to breathe life into the jazz genre which is not very prominent in Manicaland. The bands set to perform include WaCharie, Steve Chikotie, Expression Band, Brian Nhanhanga and Too Open Band. Renowned drummer, Sam Mataure, will also perform at the festival,” Makoni said.
“Academic and music education guru Tendekayi Kuture, who is a retired music lecturer from Africa University, will present a paper on the history of jazz music and its evolution to the different forms which are being played nowadays.”
Jazz music was well received by music educators for classroom teaching as the musicians behind it quickly adopted an emphasis to usage of exciting elements of music including proficiency in performance and improvisations. In a similar manner it appears it is the only type of music after classical and choral music to occupy a significant part of school curriculum.
Accordingly, several schools in response to Industry 5.0 and Continuous Assessment Learning Activities now have jazz bands. Prince Edward, Allan Wilson, Churchill Boys and Watershed College bands pursue both popular music and jazz narratives. Zimbabwe College of Music in conjunction with Africa University run a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz which has several alumni who have impacted the arts industry significantly.
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The International Jazz Day is an international day declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation in 2011 to promote jazz music as a soft tool for uniting civilisations across the globe and it is celebrated annually on April 30. Over the years the American embassy in Zimbabwe through its Public Affairs Section has brought in several jazz artistes and bands to entertain at the Harare international Festival of Arts.
Through such a development it is quite notable that each and every continent or country just to be on point now has its own type of jazz music. Tanga weKwaSando is a well-known township jazz musician whereas the likes of Dudu Manhenga, Prudence Katomeni, Philbert Marova, Victor Kunonga, Brian Nhanhanga are popular for what is called Afro-jazz.
