The Buffalo City Big Band and East London jazz community are set to gather at East London’s Guild Theatre in celebration of International Jazz Day and as part of the Umtiza Arts Festival (UAF) activation in April.
Jazz lovers from around the world gather annually at festivals, parties and events to celebrate the day.
The day promotes jazz music, its cultural significance, and its ability to foster unity and understanding between people, while showcasing the diversity of the genre and its influence on other music.
The fourth annual event in Buffalo City will once again be conducted by Mdantsane-born legend Sakhile Simani.
Buffalo City Big Band marketing and communications officer Rentia Ellis said: “There was a very successful event in April at the Stirling auditorium to celebrate the relaunch of the Buffalo City Jazz Band.
“The event plays an important role in raising awareness around the annual Umtiza Arts Festival from May 22 to June 1 at venues around the city.”
The event consists of 17 instrumentalists paired in their respective instrumental categories, including:
• Saxophone: Neteske Horton, Anthony Drake, Alan Webster, Daina Bussack, Lauren Aldag;
• Trombone: Kyle Du Preez, Hugo Smit, Okuhle Rafuza, Athandile Kula;
• Trumpet: Wesley Wong, Tumi Peko, Curtleigh Koopman, Hannah Francis;
• Piano: Vuyo Mjindi, Andile Yenana;
• Bass: Zuko Yigi; and
• Drums: Geoffrey Lottering.
“The UAF 2025 aims to present a unique 10-day programme celebrating the natural beauty of our vibrant city [and] will continue to focus on delivering high-quality productions on East London’s theatre stages, hosting exceptional art exhibitions, and presenting educational research in history, science and environmental studies for the community,” Ellis said.
“Recently, the festival was awarded national flagship status by the national department of sport, recreation, arts and culture.
“This recognition presents a valuable opportunity to leverage its three-year flagship status to strengthen the tourism sector and promote greater inclusion and participation.
“In the long-term, the UAF aims to consolidate resources to create meaningful art and cultural experiences for local and national audiences.”
Umtiza festival planning committee member Papama Mnqandi said jazz united people, fostering a sense of community and togetherness.
“Jazz is important in transforming societies into better places for humanity, and itself can sound complex and noisy, to emulate the challenges of life,” he said.
“Equally, it has tensions and resolutions in the music that turn it into a beautiful sonic experience to show that we can always overcome these challenges.
“The decision to start hosting concerts that mark International Jazz Day was about positioning the Umtiza festival on the global cultural landscape.
“Umtiza is a big deal for our city and province, there is a strong jazz tradition in the Eastern Cape in places like Gompo, Mdantsane, Zwelitsha and Mlungisi in Komani.
“As a multidisciplinary arts festival, Umtiza accommodates all art forms, and jazz was not going to be left behind.”
The Umtiza festival committee initiated the first ever International Jazz Day celebration in Buffalo City, featuring the renowned Wild Coast Trio band.
The trio, comprising the legendary Clement Benny, among other musicians, brought exceptional energy to the event.
“We inaugurated our first International Jazz Day concert with Zuko Yigi, Vuyo Mjindi and the late legendary jazz drummer, Bra Clement Benny, with the support of the Blue Lagoon Hotel, who have contributed to the livelihoods of artists in partnership with Umtiza,” Mnqandi said.
“The arts sector faces resource challenges in general, for instance we hosted an International Jazz Day at the Mdantsane Arts Centre in 2023 and had marketing and logistical nightmares and limited funding.
“This deprived us of an opportunity to grow and impact [there] ... for the benefit of the community and township tourism development.
“We are, however, excited as during this year’s Jazz Day we will feature 14-year-old Makhosini ‘Khosi’ Tauzeni of Lilyfontein School, who won the Eastern Cape Has Talent contest at the Guild recently.”
Looking ahead, Mnqandi said the festival was eager to collaborate with more local jazz luminaries, including the iconic Andile Yenana and Dumza Maswana.
“Having had the privilege of working with the likes of Clement Benny and Herbie Tsoaeli in recent years, we are excited to expand our creative horizons and bring even more exceptional jazz talent to our audiences,” he said.
Daily Dispatch
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