Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2007South Africa Hosts International Jazz StarsThe 8th Annual Cape Town International Jazz Festival, acknowledged as the biggest event on the African continent, is the one weekend of the year when music lovers from all over South Africa and abroad descend on Cape Town for the music event that is not to be missed. The 8th annual Cape Town International Jazz Festival takes place on Friday 30th and Saturday 31st March at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). Affectionately known as Africa’s Grandest Gathering, this multi-stage event brings together a dazzling bill of 40 African and international artists performing in five different venues to a diverse audience. The annual free Community Concert, the organisers’ commitment to community members who cannot make it to the paid sessions of the event, takes place on March 29th on Greenmarket Square. “The line-up this year is consistent with our vision of the festival being a platform to showcase Africa’s best and the finest internationally. We maintain the 50/50 split between African artists and musicians from the rest of the world. We have also stuck to our formula where the Cape Town International Jazz Festival brings together jazz and other jazz-related experimental genres”, says festival director Rashid Lombard. 
Artists confirmed to date include soul-jazz diva Randy Crawford; jazz legend Joe Sample; South Africa's own world famous vocal group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo; Sibongile Khumalo and Jack DeJohnette; Intercontinental with Danilo Perez; Jerome Harris; Byron Wallen and Jason Yarde; The Caribbean Jazz Project featuring Paquito D’Rivera, Dave Samuels and Andy Narell; Vivid Afrika; Concord Nkabinde; Esther Miller featuring special guest Jeremy Pelt; Bev Scott-Brown; Bruce Muirhead Quartet; Fethi Tabet; Shannon Mowday; Lira; Diego Amador; Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band; Rudimentals; Nils Landgren; Hilton Schilder; Bheki Khoza; Lee Konitz Quartet; Stimela; Tortured Soul; Geri Allen Trio featuring Jimmy Cobb; Leela James; Gino Vannelli.  The Cape Town Jazz Festival is one of the most eagerly awaited events on South Africa’s events calendar, attracting tens of thousands of music aficionados each year. The event takes place on five stages, ranging in capacity from 660 persons to 8,000 persons, and is more than just a music festival. A series of workshops, focusing on music, the music business, arts journalism, a one day jazz music conference and master classes for professional and established musicians round out the kaleidoscope of activities taking place during the Festival.
For further information and please visit the newly designed, interactive official Festival website: www.capetownjazzfest.com. Edited by Dave Shultz
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