Celebrating jazz

Windhoek's international jazz celebration is an annual event organised by Dr Kagiso Moloi and focuses on offering a platform to jazz talents. This year's celebrations in Namibia began yesterday at The Kitchen in Windhoek with a line-up of veteran and experienced performers. The second leg of the celebration is taking place today at the Kalahari Coffee and Jazz Café. The events are free. The artists that are scheduled to perform at the two events include Erna Chimu, Berita from South Africa, Sereetsi & The Natives from Botswana and other supporting Namibian jazz artists.Speaking to tjil, Moloi shared that International Jazz Day is an international day which was declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) in 2011. It is celebrated annually on April 30 and highlights jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe. “Last year's show was a success and I am hoping for the same this year. In the future, I would also love to have other regions to join us in celebrating this day by hosting their own shows,” said Moloi. He shared that he fell in love with jazz in the 70s after his father introduced him to the genre. He has since hosted numerous jazz radio shows on different radio stations. “I started with Unam Radio, moved to Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) National Radio and I now host the Jazz Grooves on Energy 100FM,” shared Moloi. Speaking on her love for jazz Berita, who is a renowned Afro-soul singer with an impressive discography, said she believes Afro-soul music borrows favorably from jazz music and other contemporary genres. “My performance will consist of my own compositions as well as a tribute to the late great legend of African music Oliver Mtukudzi,” said Berita. Berita added that this will be her second time performing in Namibia. “I had a great time the first time around. I'm looking forward to serenading them with my voice and guitar,” promised Berita, announcing that she is in the early stages of working on her new project. “I'm enjoying the process of creating the music. I will share some snippets of the new song at the show.” MICHAEL KAYUNDE

Celebrating jazz

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-18

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Celebrating jazz

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-18

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