Jazz as Heritage was the theme of this year’s jazz festival
South Africa - Jazz as Heritage was the theme of this year’s jazz festival held in Johannesburg in partnership with UJ Arts & Culture, The Wits School of Arts’ Cultural Policy and Management and The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts on 2 and 3 September. DWR Distribution was a sponsor of the event which was hosted at UJ and featured a line-up including old-school jazz and diga dancers to performances by Zoë Modiga, Abbey Cindi and Muneyi, workshops and a panel discussion.
“The jazz at UJ concert is a biennial event,” explains Thato Maroga, production manager at UJ Arts & Culture. “We are inspired by the reality that jazz music is a multi-generational cultural experience. Here people from all walks of life and cultural and racial backgrounds can gather in one space and enjoy it. This year’s programme was truly a representation of the vast jazz scene in South Africa from old-school Malombo to new-age jazz sounds, all on one stage. Having sponsors such as DWR and other partners validates the shared value of the arts and live performances.”
DWR assisted with lighting, audio and backline. Stuart Andrews, projects and operations manager at DWR explains, “We showcased DiGiCo, Audix microphones and Robe lighting and brought in one of our rental company clients, Remember Chaitezvi, to support us with backline equipment and technical back-up. DWR also supplied onsite professional support.”
The lighting equipment included Robe T1 Profiles, Robe LEDBeam 350 washes and Robe Tarrantula and UJ added their in-house Robe LED Beam 150s and MAC 250s to complete the mix. Lighting designer Tebogo Ramatapa worked on a grandMA3 compact console and ensured that the jazz concert was not just a music experience but rather a visual spectacle.
“South African Jazz is unique in sound and is the root of so much of our national heritage, said Stuart. “To assist with the showcasing of jazz legend Abbey Cindi and the amazing Zoë Modiga is the ideal platform to put our products out there in a practical application. Our amazing technology helped these artists look and sound great. To have the opportunity to partner with UJ on this project makes us a part of the community and underlines DWR’s approach to the industry.”

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