The Standard Bank Jazz Festival is to be held at the Pietermaritzburg Cricket Oval on June 13. This prestigious event is expected to provide the most impressive feast of jazz talent ever seen in KZN. Included in the line-up are husband-and-wife team Caiphus Semenya and Letta Mbula, appearing for the first time since their return from exile in America. A prominent arranger, Caiphus Semenya received a Grammy award for his music for Alex Haley’s film Roots. He also received an Oscar nomination for his soundtrack for Steven Spielberg’s The Colour Purple. He has performed with Nina Simone, Herb Alpert, Harry Belafonte and Lou Rawls, to name a few, and he was musical director of the South African component at the Nelson Mandela Tribute concert at the Wembley Stadium In London in 1989.

Letta Mbula toured with legendary alto sax star Cannonball Adderly in the United States as well as with Harry Belafonte. She received an Emmy award for her performance on the Roots soundtrack. Also on the programme will be African Jazz Connection, Sipho Gumede, Ba’agisane, Vusi Mkhize and Sakhula.

The festival is sponsored by Standard Bank’s Achiever Plan and there’s a chance to win R5 000! So, take along picnic baskets and enjoy a great concert. Tickets R30 (R50 gets you into the VIP area). Parking inside the Oval is R10 per car and the gates open at 10h00. Details from (011) 482-3667.