[WATCH] The crowd went jazz: 25th edition of the People’s Festival celebrated in style
Hundreds of mense flocked to the Jazzathon at GrandWest for a weekend filled with the best of local jazz music.
Artists including Don Vino Prins, Cameron Ward, Jonathan Rubain, Kyle Shepherd, Keith de Bruin, Jerry Watt of The Rockets and his band, Rhythm Fusion and a host of others graced the stage for the first time since the pandemic hit the entertainment industry in 2020.
It was a wave of emotion for most of the artists who were grateful to be back at the Jazzathon, which celebrated 25 years of the People’s Festival.
The fest certainly lived up to its name and had mense out of their seats and jolling to the jazzy vibes.
Staged in the Grand Arena, this was also the first time the Jazzathon was a fully seated event.
The event played host to 13 live performances within 12 hours and featured over 100 musicians.
Lead guitarist Cameron Ward performed on Saturday to an excited crowd with his custom Cameron Ward signature guitar, made by Murray Kuun.
“I started performing at the Jazzathon when I was 15 years old, I am now 34,” said the proud muso.
He added: “The Jazzathon was absolutely amazing, wonderful, beautiful and superb.
“It was a special moment to share the stage with brothers after 15 years.
“The atmosphere was electric.”
The All Star Band consisting of Cameron, Don Vino and Jonathan Rubain performed original songs off their respective albums and ended off with crowd favourites.
Organiser Craig Parks says the three-day event was a success.
“People adapted well to the changes. We went from being a free Jazzathon to a paid one and people showed great support because they know these artists have not been working for more than two years,” he said.
There was a lekker moment on Saturday when the news of the Stormers winning the URC final broke, and the cheers added to the gees on the night.
venecia.america@inl.co.za