3rd Hamptons Jazz Festival is here
Thalefang Charles | Friday February 5, 2016 16:02
After rescheduling the appointment because there was an emergency meeting with one of the sponsors, we finally meet with Hamptons Jazz Festival organiser and promoter Debbie Smith at the Grand Palm Hotel in Gaborone.
One of her phones, a small Samsung, rings before we could finish the small talk about the Gaborone heat and traffic. She apologises before saying it is an important call from one of the sponsors and she had to answer it. After a brief business call she apologises once again, adding that calls on the Samsung are important and that is why she can only afford to switch off the iPhone. Throughout the interview we had to deal with such important calls.
It is about four weeks before the event and she is already in full throttle working around the clock to deliver “the best show for the Hamptonettes” - the fans of the festival. But preparations for this third annual festival began immediately after the second festival.
“After the second Hamptons I went on a festival hunt,” Smith says. “I travelled around the world attending festivals and many major events to benchmark and better the Hamptons. In Botswana I tried to attend every event to learn what Batswana want and how other promoters are doing it.”
It was only after the second festival that the promoters saw some light to have an annual event. Smith says after the inaugural festival in 2013 they were ready to fold and quit.
“It was a disaster,” she says. “We got out of the first festival with P1.5million loss and soiled reputation.”
Their idea was born in 2013 as Smith sat at the Hampton Courts in London pining for some African music.
Smith says thereafter, together with her business partner Starr Ngwenya, they decided to burn their fingers in the tough male-dominated music promotion business.
Initially, they thought of bringing African artists to perform in the UK, but on realising that part of the idea might be unworkable, they opted to rather have a festival in Gaborone.
But the weather nearly killed the idea as it rained cats and dogs on the day of the festival, hence they were forced to postpone the show.
Those who had purchased the tickets were not amused by the reasons behind the postponement and quickly demanded their refunds. After that, everything went down south. The newbie promoters said they were initiated into the game by being conned by South African agent to the tune of P70, 000. When the event finally happened, one of the headline acts, Freshly Ground announced on Facebook during the day of the show that they were no longer coming- another big disappointment for the fans and dent in the reputation of the organisers.
The festival finally started, albeit very late, people put aside their initial frustrations and danced their legs sore. At the end of the show, after Bra Hugh Masekela’s crazy get downs, the haunting baritone of Ndingo Johwa, and Tshepo Tshola timeless Sesotho ballads, the people wanted more.The promoters sighed with relief that it was over despite the challenges. “We were ready to pack up and quit show business,” Smith recalls.
However, she says, immediately after the first show, people started enquiring about the next show and that is when they decided to soldier on. The second festival gave them more confidence.
They had brought the heavyweights of African music, Stimela, Mahotella Queens, Mango Groove, Tshepo Tshola, Lister and Women of Jazz among others. The people once again stomped the Duma FM Grounds and sung along. Smith says, “Although there were few hitches people were generally happy.” She also admits that the festival organisation was much easier unlike the first disaster. It was from this cue that she decided to make the upcoming third festival the best yet so far.
According to Smith, the line-up was decided after suggestions from the Hamptonettes. The line up is to features the golden power-couple of South African jazz Caiphus Semenya and Letta Mbuli, Vusi ‘The Voice’ Mahlasela, sensational acapella trio The Soil, Nathi with Vusi Nova, Oliver Mtukuzi, and the legendary Stimela. The local artists include Sereetsi & The Natives, Women of Jazz, Nono Seile, Trinity Mpho, Sharon Sibonge and DJs.
The promotion for the third festival kicked off seven months in advance. “This year we introduced innovative ways to promote the show. Things like Tickets Laybye, E-wallet purchases, and Early Bird Tickets,” says Smith.
She also discloses that they are on target with their tickets sales. She says in 2016, they anticipate a bigger, better and awesome event.
The festival would once again be held at the Duma FM Grounds in Gaborone North. The promoters initially eyed for Gaborone Club, but the Hamptonettes disapproved the venue, hence the Duma FM Grounds prevailed.
Smith also shares the vision for the festival in the coming years. She says they hope to make the festival a two-day jazz extravaganza like it has never been done in Gaborone. She says they are doing their research to grow the event into one of Africa’s premier jazz events.
But for now the focus is on February 27, when the Hamptonettes from Botswana and beyond would make their third annual trip to Gaborone North for this year’s installment.
In a parting shot, Smith excitedly adds that the exclusive Champagne for the VIP is already in the country saying, “You should tell the people that Moet Chandon Imperial for the VIP has already arrived.”