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PRINCE ALBERT NEWS - The fourth annual Journey to Jazz Festival concluded this weekend after four days of exceptional music, creative collaboration and engaging community participation that transformed the Karoo town into one of South Africa’s most distinctive cultural destinations.
Hosted by the Prince Albert Community Trust (PACT), the festival ran from 30 April to 3 May across diverse venues in Prince Albert, including the striking Unesco World Heritage Swartberg Pass, solidifying its reputation as a festival where landscape, music and community intertwine.
Proceedings opened at sunrise on Thursday morning with a moving community gathering at Kritikom Koppie, where musicians, local voices and invited artists welcomed audiences into four days of what organisers described as “true jazz, true Karoo and true purpose”.
Among this year’s standout moments were the site-specific mountain performances on the Swartberg Pass by acclaimed South African artists Zoë Modiga and Zawadi Yamungu, both of whom delivered deeply atmospheric sets against the vast Karoo backdrop.
Another major highlight was the world premiere of an original score by Kyle Shepherd, specially commissioned to accompany four short films by internationally renowned visual artist William Kentridge.
The performance, commissioned by PACT, offered audiences a striking meeting of live jazz improvisation and moving image.
Rich programme
Throughout the weekend, festivalgoers were treated to a rich programme of intimate concerts, discussions and masterclasses that explored African jazz in its many expressions, from Cuban-influenced Senegalese traditions and Caribbean West African vinyl culture to the evolving contemporary sounds shaping South Africa’s modern jazz landscape.
International collaboration also featured strongly, with Italian trio ¡Gracia!, presented in partnership with the Italian Cultural Institute, delivering one of the festival’s most memorable performances.
Their unconventional combination of violin, accordion and guitar created a textured and transformative sonic experience that resonated deeply with audiences.
Emphasis on participation
A defining characteristic of this year’s festival was its continued emphasis on participation rather than passive observation. Across venues, audiences were repeatedly invited into the performance space through dialogue, shared singing and communal reflection, underscoring Journey to Jazz’s vision of music as a shared cultural encounter.
Themes of motherhood, ancestry, memory, nature and collective healing were woven throughout the programme, often amplified by the elemental beauty of the Karoo landscape itself.
The festival drew to a close on Sunday morning with an unforgettable performance by pianist Yonela Mnana in the DR Church, where a seamless 25-minute curation of Ludwig van Beethoven, jazz standards, hymns, and children’s Sunday School songs transformed the church into a space of communal contemplation.
Moving finale
In the final moments, the Swartberg High School Choir, the Outeniqua High School Jazz Band, and the Karoo Jazz Project united for a moving rendition of Paradise Road, a moving finale celebrating hope, youth, and the enduring power of music to carry stories forward.
As Journey to Jazz continues to grow in artistic stature and national appeal, it remains rooted in its founding purpose: using music not only as performance, but as a vehicle for connection, dialogue, and youth development within the Karoo community.
Festival organisers have already extended an invitation to visitors to return to Prince Albert in 2027 to experience what has become far more than a music festival, a gathering of people, place, and purpose.
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