Motswana-South African musician Bokani Dyer, is gearing up to rock the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) stage this weekend with his seven-piece crew.
The pianist, composer and music producer’s performance will feature drums, bass, guitar and two artists on the trumpet as him and his band look forward to serenading attendees or “Festinos” as they are affectionately referred to.
"It is great that the festival is back and I’m really happy to be a part of this year's line-up,“ he recently told Independent Media Lifestyle.
“It is a world-class festival in our country, so it is always an honour to perform there."
Born in Gaborone, Botswana in 1986, Dyer was immersed in a vibrant artistic community from a young age and his journey began in a culturally diverse environment.
His musical influences include several South African artists, including his father Steve Dyer.
The jazz maestro explained that he also draws inspiration from fellow musician, Nina Simone's timeless words: "An artist's duty is to reflect the times."
On his creative process, which he describes as “an intuitive journey” where he follows the music's lead, he added: "I don't look to balance influences. I follow where the music takes me, a kind of intuitive process of sculpting a piece."
Dyer added that he is impressed with the dynamic energy of emerging young musicians in the local and global music scene and he is optimistic about their potential to bring fresh innovation to the jazz scene.
“I think there is a strong energy coming from younger voices locally and globally and that is really exciting because it is like a new chapter moving the music forward and attracting younger audiences.”
He is also thrilled about exploring the pulse of contemporary South Africa through his latest project, “Radio Sechaba”, as well as other upcoming project that builds upon the themes explored in this album.
"It will be a follow-up to the Radio Sechaba album with some exciting features."
Dyer will join an impressive array of international stars and local talents in the jazz and jazz-related genres at CTIJF, which has been dubbed, “Africa’s Grandest Gathering”.
Apart from the star-studded line-up, this year’s festival will also introduce new talents, formats and four stages, as organisers noted it will be bigger and better than ever.
With a free concert set to be held in the Mother City’s Greenmarket Square ahead of the festival on Thursday (May 2) from 4pm, CTIJF will also be hosting a series of free-to-attend masterclasses at the Artscape Theatre Centre.
Ticket information:
No under-10s and no pass-outs will be allowed at the event, which is cashless.
The general admission festival ticket is priced at R950 per night, per person, which also grants access to the Kippies and Manenberg stages.
Surcharge tickets are in operation for the Rosies and Moses Molelekwa stages at R30 per person per show.
Please note that this surcharge is to manage capacity in the venues, which can only seat 1 500 per show.
Festivalgoers must purchase a general festival ticket before they buy surcharged show tickets.
General admission and surcharge tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster.
To book for the free masterclasses, register at: https://www.capetownjazzfest.com/ctijf-2024-masterclass-registration-form/
For more information about the Cape Town International Jazz Festival and to view the full schedule of events, visit www.capetownjazzfest.com or book your tickets on Ticketmaster.co.za.