By Lebone Rodah Mosima
The South African Association for Jazz Education (SAJE) is bringing the jazz conversation and live music back to Durban next week, with its 16th conference set to take over the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Jazz and Popular Music (CJPM) from 25 to 27 February.
The three-day gathering will bring together educators, artists and researchers for a deep dive into this year’s theme, “Indigenous Musical Elements in South African Jazz: Exploring Theory and Practice,” with a hybrid format that lets people join either in person or online.
“This year’s theme places indigenous musical knowledge at the centre, asking not only what we play, but how we credit, teach, transmit and evolve the sound responsibly across classrooms, stages and archives,” said SAJE president Sibusiso Mashiloane.
Expect a packed programme of research paper presentations, masterclasses, workshops and panel discussions, with SAJE saying the conference will move “deliberately between theory and practice” to explore how indigenous musical knowledge sits in South African jazz not only as an “influence”, but as structure, language, technique and philosophy.
Live music is part of the pull. The opening concert features Hilton Schilder, a pioneer of Cape jazz and Goema and a multi-instrumentalist closely linked to shaping the genre’s sound-world.
The night then heads to The Chairman for a collaborative bill featuring Sbonelo Mlita (Afro-jazz and Afrobeat bassist, bandleader and composer), Lu Dlamini (Durban-based vocalist and traditional instrumentalist) and Buddy Wells (Cape Town saxophonist and arranger).
“The closing concert echoes the conference’s core questions, how indigenous musical knowledge, language, and memory sit inside jazz practice,” SAJE said.
SAJE said its 16th conference is supported by the National Arts Council of South Africa (NAC) and the eThekwini Municipality.
CJPM remains a key base for the city’s jazz ecosystem, “offering space and infrastructure for workshops, rehearsals, performances, and conferences that connect students, professionals, and the wider public”.
Organisers also promised a few extras beyond the sessions: a cocktail reception for delegates, artists and partners to connect, a strong focus on Cape jazz/Goema and Zulu musical elements, and a day that puts the spotlight on archives, language, ceremonial practice and documentation.