Jazz festival talent search
The 2018 Windhoek Jazz Festival urges local jazz artists to apply to be part of the line-up.
A call for local artists to take part in this year's Windhoek Jazz Festival that will take place on 3 November has been made. The annual Windhoek Jazz Festival is one of the most anticipated events on the Namibian social calendar. As a brand, it continues to grow and catch the attention of musicians and audiences across the country and internationally. The Windhoek mayor Muesee Kazapua has said that the importance of music in our daily life cannot be over-emphasised as it is a way of expressing our feelings and emotions and this is one of the reasons the city hosts the event.
The City is known to celebrate its musical tradition with a fusion of all things jazzy - from jazz, Afro jazz and contemporary jazz. The organisers have made a call for local artists to apply to be part of the line-up. Speaking to tjil, Lydia Amutenya said the selection process includes ensuring that the received applications match the criteria, starting with the genre.
“It is a jazz festival and we would like to meet the expectations of our fans with every edition. We know the jazz genre is very limited in its nature, but our artists over the years have proven their capabilities and delivered. It is not an easy task because in most cases you have to select the best from the best,” she said.
According to Amutenya, the line-up usually consists of eight local acts with six being established and two upcoming. She further said that the jazz genre is very limited all over the world and Namibia is no exception. With this observation, Amutenya urged more artists to pursue the genre as there is a market for it.
“From the City's side, we have created a platform for our artists to showcase their talent. Since 2012, when we started hosting the festival, we have received overwhelming support from the fans. The turnout has always been commendable over the years and we believe that the jazz genre has a special meaning to most people, and the festival continues to grow from strength to strength,” she said.
Local artist Big Ben who has graced the festival's stage says it is a big boost for cultural tourism efforts of both the City and the tourism ministry which is why it is important.
“I have observed the big number of tourists who travel from other African countries to attend the festival and continue on to see other places in Namibia. This I why the festival is a significant event,” he said.
The due date to submit their application forms is 31 August and forms are available on www.windhoekjazzfestival.com.na .
The City is known to celebrate its musical tradition with a fusion of all things jazzy - from jazz, Afro jazz and contemporary jazz. The organisers have made a call for local artists to apply to be part of the line-up. Speaking to tjil, Lydia Amutenya said the selection process includes ensuring that the received applications match the criteria, starting with the genre.
“It is a jazz festival and we would like to meet the expectations of our fans with every edition. We know the jazz genre is very limited in its nature, but our artists over the years have proven their capabilities and delivered. It is not an easy task because in most cases you have to select the best from the best,” she said.
According to Amutenya, the line-up usually consists of eight local acts with six being established and two upcoming. She further said that the jazz genre is very limited all over the world and Namibia is no exception. With this observation, Amutenya urged more artists to pursue the genre as there is a market for it.
“From the City's side, we have created a platform for our artists to showcase their talent. Since 2012, when we started hosting the festival, we have received overwhelming support from the fans. The turnout has always been commendable over the years and we believe that the jazz genre has a special meaning to most people, and the festival continues to grow from strength to strength,” she said.
Local artist Big Ben who has graced the festival's stage says it is a big boost for cultural tourism efforts of both the City and the tourism ministry which is why it is important.
“I have observed the big number of tourists who travel from other African countries to attend the festival and continue on to see other places in Namibia. This I why the festival is a significant event,” he said.
The due date to submit their application forms is 31 August and forms are available on www.windhoekjazzfestival.com.na .
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article