The Cape Town International Jazz Festival, which is about to celebrate it’s 10th Anniversary, received a wonderful present: Melodytrip, a website devoted to musical festivals all over the world, has ranked the Cape Town event above both the Montreaux Festival in Switzerland and the North Sea Jazz Festival which is held in Holland.
Event organizers credit the high ranking to the wide variety of musical styles heard in Cape Town. They also believe that the unique mixture of both local and international musicians adds to their event’s success.
When the event was first conceived a decade ago, many critics expected the festival to fail, as previous attempts to found an African jazz fest did. However, through by planning, partnerships, and the development of a winning formula, the event has gone from 9,000 visitors to 33,500 expected next weekend.
The event has evolved beyond a local music fest. In 2007 (the most recent study), over half the audience came from outside South Africa and oer 15% from countries outside Africa. The city’s tourist industry has benefitted greatly from the event. The best Cape Town hotels, restaurants, and shops see immediate increases in revenue and the entire city benefits from the improved global profile provided by the event.
This year’s festival will feature forty musical acts on five stages over the two-day event. In addition to some of the world’s best jazz music, the festival also showcases jazz-related genres as well as workshops and a free concert. This year’s free concert will be held on April 1st while the festival itself runs April 3-4 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.