Sipho 'Hotsix' Mabuse headlines first day of Cape Town Jazz Festival

By Kalungi Kabuye in Cape Town, South Africa

He is renowned as one of the godfathers of South African jazz; so it did not matter that he came on after 11pm, when people had been sanding for hours.

The South African crowd was waiting for him, and gave a standing ovation when Sipho Mabuse took to the main stage at the 2015 Cape Town Jazz Festival.

It did not matter that he plays a laid back kind of jazz, the type you want to listen to on a lazy afternoon and not on Friday at midnight; the faithful were there with him. He arguably got the biggest crowd at a festival where the people had freedom to drift between the five stages.

There was the Main Kippies stage; the Basil 'Maneneberg' Coetzee stage; the Rosies stage; the Moses Molelekwa stage; and the Bassline stage.

But at the start, it was veteran musician Chaka Chaka that warmed up the night, even what she did was not jazz.
 

Chaka Chaka performs at the Cape Town Convention Centre. (Photo credit: Kalungi Kabuye)

It was only when Jason Miles (no relative of Miles Davis, but he used to hand around him) and his band took to the Coetzee stage that the night really started. His one hour was dedicated to Grover Washington, and it was a night to remember.

Elsewhere a total of 20 musicians performed on the various stages, including talented pianist Gerald Clayton and his Trio; and 19-year-old trumpet sensation Andrea Motis.

Saturday's shows will be headline by Al Jarreau, and Hugh Masekela and Oliver Mutukuzi. But it will be popular award-winning South African singer Ringo Madlingozi who will kick things off at the Kippies stage at 5pm local time.

Jason Miles (on piano) performs on Friday night. (Photo credit: Kalungi Kabuye)

Chaka Chaka's back up vocalists on Day One of the festival. (Photo credit: Kalungi Kabuye)