04 May 2025

The International Jazz Day hosted by Botswana Society For Jazz Education (BOSjE) brought music enthusiasts at Botswana Craft on Wednesday for the annual celebration of jazz music.

Every year, jazz lovers the world over celebrates this day with great anticipation, and this year’s celebrations did not disappoint as great talent and entertainment were galore. The organisers, who had previously promised a memorable event, especially that Botswana is bidding to host the world in 2028 International Jazz Day, delivered on their promise. 

The organisers gave a diverse line-up of talented musicians who displayed varied talent of music across genres from soul to avant-garde, big band, rap and a host of hybrid new jazz-inflected musical forms. 

The line-up comprised young and legends; The Fleek Band, an all-female jazz band of saxophonists, drummers, horns delivering a swift of well-matched and strong performance to the crowd. The all-female band, living to their existence gave a rendition of female greats musicians such as Nina Simone, Judith Sephuma and Lira.

In the line up also was According to Us, Grow to Black Collective, We Don’t Play (WDP) who brought their fresh cross-genre sensibility to Botswana’s contemporary music scene interpreting popular songs that resonated with the audience such as Han C’s Mafurafura, which they fused with Mexican sound to give it an exotic feel and flair.  Also, keeping the crowd on their feet was the performance of SCAR with the band, anchoring hip hop on jazz.

Socca Moruakgomo, one of the Botswana’s admired and respected musician, brought the house down with classics such as Wena, Smile which is a dedication to his wife and Lefatshe, which is still a favourite among his audience as they were singing along to the lyrics and moving to the jazzy beats and sounds from an ensemble of BOSjE band perfectly blending with Socca’s trumpet.

Bhudaza Mapefane, an acclaimed Lesotho saxophonist and pianist, was the highlight of the night. His surprise appearance on Socca’s set as well as WDP and SCAR’s recitals stamped his musical prowess and a joy to the audience who only planned to experience him on his Botswana tour with Socca, Amantle Brown, Ndingo Jowa and Stika Sola as an extension of International Jazz Day activities. ENDS