HARARE - Organisers of the much-hyped Harare Jazz Festival which was set for Saturday at Belgravia Sports Club have cancelled the music jamboree citing a number of logistical hitches.
The jazz festival was set to feature South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela, Afro-jazz singer Dorothy Masuku and guitarist Kunle Ayo of Nigeria.
A contingent of local music acts that included Mokoomba, Jazz Invitation, Dudu Manhenga, Tanga Wekwa Sando, Prudence Katomeni-Mbofana, Mbare Trio, Bulawayo Kwela and Cool Crooners were also meant to perform during the all-day jazz music festival.
Harare Jazz Festival coordinator Sam Mataure told the Daily News from South Africa where he is on a tour with superstar musician Oliver Mtukudzi that the jazz music festival has been postponed to a later date.
“While we had made frantic preparations for the Saturday Harare Jazz Festival, we feel there are certain logistical issues that are not in place. We have decided to postpone the musical so as to allow us enough time to tie up the loose ends,” said Mataure.
Mataure said a full statement on the postponement of the Harare Jazz Festival will be issued in due course.
“We would like to apologise to our music fans and all the musicians who were billed to perform on the day.
“This is an unfortunate development, but we promise our fans that we would be putting the festival together but on a date to be announced soon,” said Mataure.
Harare Jazz Festival was this year supposed to pay tribute to township jazz music legend Masuka in honour of her 60-year career in music.
Bulawayo born Berita Khumalo, who is now resident in South Africa, was supposed to pay tribute to Masuka through fresh interpretations of the jazz legend’s music.
Mataure said as preparations for a later date are made, the organisers will be bringing to Zimbabwe some of the billed international jazz stars as part of the upcoming gig promotion.
“We will be bringing international performing artistes to Zimbabwe and we plan to bring Masekela to Harare to publicise the concert and probable new dates.”
This is the second time such high profile music event to be cancelled within a short time after another much publicised concert featuring international music singer John Legend failed to materialise.
Davies Events, organisers of the Legend concert have promised to refund music fans who had bought advance tickets. The refund procedure would take place over the course of three consecutive days starting on October 1 and ending on October 3.
In a statement sent to the media Davies Events announced that Legend’s end of year concert at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) had been cancelled citing some logistical challenges.
“It is with great regret that Davies Events have to announce the cancellation of the John Legend show, scheduled for November 19, 2014 at HICC.
“Due to unforeseen logistical challenges in moving the show between Cape Town, Harare and the recently added Durban show, Big Concerts regrets to advise that John Legend’s Harare concert has been cancelled.
“Davies Events wish to advise all ticket holders that we will facilitate a full face value refund on all tickets purchased.”