Kokoroko at the 2024 Cape Town International Jazz Festival (Storm Simpson/News24)
“Jazz isn’t dead, it just smells funny,” is a quote attributed Frank Zappa and, when the musician said it in 1973, the genre was perceived as “unhip”.
Jazz has always been malleable, and every generation has taken ownership of it to reflect their context. It will always find resonance with new listeners, which is especially evident in social settings, and one example is the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF).
The CTIJF, and other festivals like it, provide a space to celebrate one of South Africa’s most important art forms. When you are part of a large, rowdy audience captivated by new and old jazz artists, jazz doesn’t just feel alive, but thriving.
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