Joy of Jazz

Joy of Jazz is the longest-running jazz festival in South Africa. It has been held for more than two consecutive decades. The festival is takes place each September in Johannesburg. Although it is not so large as the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, it has many devoted fans due to its high-quality, varied line-up.

While many jazz festivals expand their line-ups to include other genres, such as blues, rock and even pop, Joy of Jazz remains faithful to its roots. About 90% of its programming focuses on classical jazz, and the remaining 10% is dedicated to various subgenres, including avant-garde jazz, straight-ahead jazz, acid jazz, African jazz (kwela, marabi), rhythm and blues, neo soul, etc.

The organizers of the festival invite world-class jazz performers from South Africa and other African countries, as well as from Europe and Asia. For example, the line-up of the 2016 Joy of Jazz included saxophonist Houston Person (United States), vocalist Deborah Carter (United States), singer Judith Sephuma (South Africa), singer and guitarist Jonathan Butler (South Africa), singer Ester Rada (Israel), drummer Kendrick Scott (United States), and other well-known jazz vocalists and musicians.

The performances take place on several stages in Sandton Convention Center. Joy of Jazz also hosts a program named Jazz Cares. Jazz Cares is a series of special jazz concerts for people who normally don’t have an opportunity to attend commercial jazz shows, such as elderly people, people with disabilities, orphans, hospice patients. Joy of Jazz organizes more than three dozen free concerts over four days for these people.

Alongside concerts, Joy of Jazz hosts educational events for young people. They include workshops and masterclasses, seminars dedicated to the music industry, etc. Besides, the program of the festival includes a special event for music industry leaders and Golf Day for those who are interested both in golf and in jazz.