Diary: Celebrating International Jazz Day and The History of House at the Lyric Theatre

Mail & Guardian

25-04-2025

Jazzed up: Andile Yenana will perform at the Umtiza Arts Festival's concert to celebrate South Africa's jazz heritage.
Standout jazz treat in store for Buffalo City
In celebration of International Jazz Day, the Umtiza Arts Festival presents a musical event featuring Andile Yenana and the Buffalo City Big Band.
Taking place on 30 April at the Guild Theatre, East London, this concert is a highlight of the Umtiza Festival and pays homage to South Africa's rich jazz heritage.
The Buffalo City Big Band, whose members have included greats like Reverend Patrick Pasha and Selaelo Selota, continues its mission of jazz education and development.
This year's special performance is headlined by renowned pianist, composer and educator Andile Yenana. He is joined by Ngqushwa's 'barefoot baritone' Dumza Maswana and rising star Khosi Tauzeni, winner of the 2025 Eastern Cape Has Talent contest.
Trumpeter and conductor Sakhile Simane, a native of Mdantsane, curates a vibrant repertoire of South African compositions, centring on the Andile Yenana songbook, uniting global jazz appreciation with local pride.
Tickets available at Computicket.
Sit up and listen — MÖRDA is in the house
Bassline Live brings an unmissable celebration to the Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City on Africa Day, 23 May.
Honouring the continent's rhythmic legacy, The History of House sees DJ and producer MÖRDA take the stage with the Soweto Gospel Choir for a one-night-only fusion of global beats, Afro-house and soaring harmonies.
The choir, fresh from their genre-defying History of House album with Australia's Groove Terminator, will debut the performance live in South Africa — paired with MÖRDA for the first time. Expect renditions of house classics like Silence and Ride Like the Wind, alongside the euphoric energy of MÖRDA's Asante III hits.
Presented by Bassline Live in association with BET, this Africa Day show marks 31 years of Bassline's musical legacy.
Tickets are R350 to R650 via Webtickets.
Jazz day at UKZN
Timeless language: A series of events in Durban to connect communities through jazz will include singer Natalie Rungan.
In celebration of International Jazz Day, UKZN's Centre for Jazz and Popular Music, in partnership with the Centre for Creative Arts and the South African Association for Jazz Education, initiates a series of events highlighting jazz's unifying spirit.
This year's programme, beginning on 30 April, will explore the theme 'Who's Got the Map?' — a nod to Andile Yenana's 2005 album that still resonates in today's shifting world.
'Jazz has always been about questions,' says Neil Gonsalves, director at the centre.
The five-day celebration features a vibrant mix of performances taking place across Durban, which will showcase both seasoned and emerging talent.
Highlights include a vocal showcase with Natalie Rungan, a solo journey by Burton Naidoo at the Bean Bag Jazz Club and a student-driven fundraiser, which will be held at Dukkah.
Online conversations will unpack jazz's evolving role.