jazzlatest news & developments
Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse performs on the Kippies stage during the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Photo: Armand Hough

Forty years of fire: Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse ignites Cape Town Jazz Fest

Witnessing his fans dancing to ‘Burn Out’ proved to Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse his enduring power. The legend talks about his energy-filled performance at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, his spiritual foundation and the evolution of South African jazz.

Powerful presence: Fatoumata Diawara performing at the CTIJF 2026. Photo: Armand Hough

Fatoumata Diawara channels ancestry and activism in Cape Town

Blending Malian heritage with high-energy pop, Fatoumata Diawara used the CTIJF stage to honour her roots and confront FGM, proving that heritage and modern activism are inseparable

British multi-instrumentalist and seven-time Grammy winner Jacob Collier performs on the Kippies stage at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival in Cape Town. Picture / Henk Kruger / Independent Media

Reinventing the Cape Town International Jazz Festival without losing the jazz

Co-director Georgia Jones says the festival’s future depends on championing African artists, drawing younger audiences and making space for genres like amapiano without losing its core identity

Salif Keita  celebrates Montreux’s arrival in Africa, urging artists to honour their roots while embracing music as a universal language

Salif Keita pulls out of Montreux Jazz Festival Franschhoek due to illness

Salif Keita has withdrawn from the Montreux Jazz Festival Franschhoek due to a sudden illness, with his band set to perform a tribute in his absence

Audiences can expect a set that moves between Lordkez’s earlier, more experimental work and her newer, R&B-driven material.

Lordkez brings R&B-rooted sound to Cape Town International Jazz Festival debut

Blending R&B, soul and jazz, Lordkez arrives at CTIJF with a clearer sense of identity and a growing reputation as a compelling live performer.

Salif Keita  celebrates Montreux’s arrival in Africa, urging artists to honour their roots while embracing music as a universal language

Salif Keita: Africa’s golden voice on jazz, legacy and his love of South Africa

The Malian legend celebrates Montreux’s arrival in Africa, urging artists to honour their roots while embracing music as a universal language

Blended sound: Apiwe Bubu and Andile Yenana’s performance is a
dialogue between mastery and emergence. Photo: Supplied

Gig Guide: Apiwe Bubu joins his mentor Andile Yenana live at Afrikan Freedom Station, K.O Marks 20 Years with 20 Summers and Viwo Kulati tours Gauteng

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Strumming: Pops Mohamed playing the kora. The globally renowned South African musician died on 4
December 2025, just days before his 76th birthday. Photo: Siphiwe Mhlambi

Remembering Pops Mohamed

Tributes pour in for the multi-instrumentalist who blended African traditions with modern sounds

Smooth jazz: Gregory Porter music bridges eras and emotions with sincerity and grace. Photo: Erik Umphery

Diary: Gregory Porter in SA; Zeitz MOCAA symposium; DJ Bob Jazz Club

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Scorpion Kings: Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa.

Diary: Scorpion kings live at Loftus Stadium, Ofentse Sebula to tour Johannesburg and eSwatini and Gresham Tapiwa Nyaude showcases at JAG

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Frame of mind: Apiwe Bubu, who hails from the Eastern Cape, and now has his own studio in Los Angeles, came back to his home country to record his debut album. Photo: Ofentse Moatshe

10 Hours, 8 Tracks, 1 Lifetime: Apiwe Bubu’s 20-year journey to his debut album

Apiwe Bubu’s debut album is the culmination of a decades-long journey across continents, studios and genres — finally coming home to piano

Returning to Joburg: Jazz maestro Wynton Marsalis will be the main act at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival next month.

Diary: Wynton Marsalis will headline Dinaledi stage at the Joy of Jazz, Symphony of Bansuri to premiere at the Artscape Opera House and Basadi in Music Awards return in August

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Take 2: Tutu Puoane has returned from Belgium to perform in the country’s major cities in August.

Diary: Tutu Puoane to tour in South Africa, Cold Chinese Food set to release new album in July and The Capitec handmadeAFRICA at Decorex

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Moving: Multi-disciplinary artist Aldo Brincat’s The Moon Looks Delicious From Here is a semi-autobiographical story.

Diary: Aldo Brincat at the Market Theatre, NYO Jazz releases new album and Kabza De Small set to release Kabza Chant 2.0

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A moment in time: Images from Jonathon Rees’s show titled Stillness.

Jonathon Rees: Finding stillness in a note

Photographer’s images are a soulful visual tribute to South African jazz

Jozi jokes: Comedy Jam will be on at the Houghton Hotel on Friday 2  August.

Diary:  Comedy Jam at The Houghton Hotel in August,  Vuma Levin returns with new album Allegories, Black Coffee at Hey Neighbour

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Miriam Altman

Diary: The Black Circus of the Republic of Bantu, Rowlene’s Moments After and Altman’s take on Stevie Wonder

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Figuring on biggering: A day of music and culture in LInksfield.

Diary: Big Day Out with Oskido, RedFest2025 returns, UKZN’s tribute to Demi Fernandez

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Biggie: SoftVxnxs by Goldendean who will be an exhibitor on the One and the Many show in Pretoria in July. Photo: Anthea Pokroy

Diary: One and the Many exhibition at Javette Art Centre,  Simthandile Mtolo Quartet live, Kaleidoscope Festival in the Karoo

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Out of the blue: Producer of the annual Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival Mantwa Chinoamadi advises young women who aspire to succeed in the music industry to listen, learn and always be a student.

Rakgadi of the rhythm: Mantwa Chinoamadi and the soul of jazz

A tribute to Mantwa Chinoamadi — the beloved nurturing force and fearless leader behind the soul of South African jazz