Diamond City Jazz Festival finally here
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Monday March 3, 2025 10:00
According to the event coordinator, Rapula Kegopilwe, the DCJF 2025 will be hosted over two days with the first activity being the Golf and Jazz VIP experience on Friday, March 28, 2025 at the Gaborone Golf Club. The main festival will be held on Saturday, March 29, at Bojanala Waterfront. “Even though the event was postponed last year, our line-up remains unchanged with a few surprises billed for the main event. Our event is always curated for the revellers and we are excited that a few surprises will be there for our music enthusiasts to thank them for their loyalty to DCJF. We are working hard to pin a sponsor for the music education workshops and collaborations project we intend to establish as a legacy programme for the festival,” he said. He added that they want to see international acts that come for the festival collaborating with local jazz musicians. Kegopilwe added that the key aim is to see local talent performing actively across borders. He added that they are looking to have the young and old coming to enjoy an array of live music performances.
He pointed out that the festival is more than a concert but a cultural exchange event where wisdom meets innovation. Kegopilwe also said the key issue is to celebrate an inter-generational exchange of talent, by bringing together jazz legends and ‘upcoming legends’ for a night of unparalleled artistry. The DCJF line-up is diverse and features the legends such as Sipho Hotstix Mabuse, Budhaza, McCoy Mrubata, Nono Siile, Steve and the young and thrilling like Mpho Sebina, Jordan Moozy, Azana, DJs, Shaft, Mdu Tha Party, Harry Koata, Uncle Shima and Shaft People.
Kegopilwe further stated that they have an array of stalls saying food stalls sell for P2,500 while the art and craft exhibition stalls are sold for P500. He explained that craft stalls were still available and invited craft artists to come and exhibit their works. “We pride in curating a relaxed atmosphere for our patrons. Their security is always a top priority for us. We have sent our invites to many dignitaries and we will be getting confirmations soon. We are hopeful our Minister of Sports and Arts will be with us. However, we also face some challenges hosting events of this magnitude and our greatest one is getting sponsorships on board,” he added. “We are working hard on creating the Export Pina legacy programme that targets to have our artists growing through collaborations and gaining access to markets across the border. We invite all stakeholders, corporates and government to come on board and support this festival,” he said. He explained that DCJF will be an annual event, saying they are having conversations to have the event happening across multiple countries.