Bringing jazz back to life

PATIENCE MUSA

At a time when jazz shows in Zimbabwe are nearly non-existent and once-vibrant stages lie silent, a quiet yet resolute movement is beginning to take shape.

It is a movement rooted in passion, nostalgia, and an unshakable belief in the unifying and healing power of jazz. And it is being led by artists who are more than just performers—they are curators, storytellers, and architects of a renewed jazz future.

Artists like Josh Meck, who are investing their time, talent, and resources into reviving a genre that once set the city alight.

Meck’s upcoming International Jazz Day Concert, to be held at the Zimbabwe-Germany Society, stands as a powerful symbol of this revival.

Declared by UNESCO in 2011, International Jazz Day is more than a date on the calendar—it is a celebration of jazz’s diplomatic power, its ability to transcend borders, cultures, and generations.

What better way to honour that spirit than with a showcase of Zimbabwe’s finest jazz artists, gathered together on one stage?

Fresh from a triumphant collaboration with legendary South African guitarist Jimmy Dludlu at the Alliance Française—a concert that drew hundreds of jazz lovers, including luminaries such as Dr. Guramatunhu, Dr. Herbert Murerwa, Dr. Parirenyatwa, and Stephen Margolis—Meck is once again assembling an electrifying mix of Zimbabwe’s jazz elite and rising stars.

The International Jazz Day lineup will include Rute Mbangwa, Mono Mukundu, Dereck Mpofu, Agga Nyabinde, and will spotlight emerging talents such as Freedom Manatsa and Nothando Mhlanga.

This rare collaboration is more than just a concert—it’s a statement. A declaration that jazz is not dead; it’s evolving.

Josh Meck’s musical journey began in church at a young age, later growing into a career as a sought-after session musician for various local acts. Over the years, he has collaborated with musical greats like the late Chiwoniso Maraire, Afrika Revenge, Victor Kunonga, and German jazz artist Max Wild.

His signature sound—an inspired fusion of Zimbabwean traditional rhythms like Mhande and Katekwe with jazz stylings—has earned him critical acclaim. His latest album, Nhaka Yemusha, won Best Jazz Album at the Zimbabwe Music Awards (ZIMAs), solidifying his position as both cultural custodian and contemporary innovator.

Also central to Zimbabwe’s jazz renaissance is Filbert Marova, a seasoned musician, composer, and educator whose influence spans over three decades. As founder and artistic director of the Zimbabwe Jazz Community Trust (ZJCT), established in 2016, Marova has been pivotal in preserving and promoting the country’s jazz heritage. Under his stewardship, the ZJCT hosts the annual Zimbabwe Jazz Festival—a two-day celebration that unites local and international talent.

The 2024 edition, themed Sizzling Rhythms, featured stellar performances by local legends such as Paul Lunga and Prudence Katomeni-Mbofana, as well as Swiss singer-songwriter Nnavy, with events held at Alliance Française venues in Harare and Bulawayo.

But Marova’s efforts extend beyond festivals. Through initiatives like the Back 2 Jazzics weekly sessions, the ZJCT provides a vital platform for both emerging and seasoned artists to perform, collaborate, and grow. These sessions have become instrumental in nurturing new talent and ensuring the genre’s continuity in Zimbabwe.

Still, the jazz revival cannot rest on the shoulders of artists alone.

Audiences—and corporate sponsors—have a critical role to play. The live jazz scene has undergone many shifts over the past two decades. Promoters, venue owners, band managers, and musicians have come and gone. Some left legacies—Josh Hozheri, Paul Brickhill, Lennox Chibanda, Bernie Bismark, Newton Madzika, Dumi Ngulube, to name a few. Others, like Sam Mataure, continue to carry the torch with unwavering dedication—often without the support they deserve—in the hope that the music will rise louder than the silence.

Perhaps the question is not how to bring the old days back, but how to embrace jazz as it exists today. The world has changed, and so must the space jazz occupies. Maybe it’s about finding new relevance—choosing the right venues, the right moments, and the right artists whose chemistry can resonate not just with yesterday’s audience, but with today’s and tomorrow’s as well.

Jazz has always been a conversation. Between instruments. Between cultures. Between generations. If we nurture it, invest in it, and—most importantly—show up for it, we just might ignite a new movement.

One that doesn’t aim to recreate the past, but to reimagine what jazz can be in a changing world.

And maybe—just maybe—that will be enough not only to bring jazz back, but to carry it forward.