The Cape Town International Jazz Festival has become internationally known as one of South Africa’s top music festivals. Tickets are sold out months before and hoarded more closely than most valuables. 2013 will be the festival’s fourteenth year running and the line-up promises a truly spectacular weekend of music.
Headlining at the festival, which is held on the 5th and 6th April at the Cape Town international Convention Centre (CTICC), will be Buena Vista Social Club and the Brand New Heavies.
The Buena Vista Social Club recorded their first album in 1997 and stood back in amazement as the album spread like wildfire around the world. They have successfully retained their popularity over the years. The Cuban ensemble will be featuring Omara Portuondo who also hails from Havana at the jazz fest. This will be the first time that the Grammy award winning group perform on South African shores.
The Brand New Heavies are an acid jazz and funk group from Ealing, West London. They began their music career in the 1980’s and will take jazz aficionados on a trip down memory lane with hit singles like ‘Never Stop’ and ‘Dream Come True’. 
Other acts include South Africans, Jimmy Dludlu, who should need no introduction to South African jazz audiences and Errol Dyers, known for his quirky mix between Afrikaans folk music and the ‘Cape Town Carnival’ sound. This jazz guitarist is considered a pioneer of what is today known as Cape Jazz-Ghoema.
Tickets went on sale December 1st 2012 and are still available from Computicket at R440 for a day pass or R645 for a weekend pass. Tickets can be bought at Computicket outlets or online through the Computicket website.
Every year the Cape Town Jazz Festival fills the city with a buzz and sense of excitement as audience members and performers flock to take part in this celebration of all that is jazz. A not to be missed event if you plan to be anywhere in the proximity of the Western Cape at the beginning of April, but be warned, book tickets and accommodation early, the city will fill up.
If you are still looking for accommodation, visit www.flightsite,co.za for awesome specials!
