Main Jazz Joint Operates Mid-Week

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Monday April 19, 2010 00:00

It has been over two weeks since the club started to operate under the revised schedule.  The club used to operate on weekly days, but the management resorted to weekends following the implementation of the restrictive liquor regulations last year.

But since the club embarked on this programme attendance has been poor because many revellers were not aware of the new arrangement.

The only time when there was a good crowd midweek was on Easter eve.  But the club was pulling a good crowd during the Easters.

During the week, Satchmo's offers a variety of jazz music.  But revellers mostly prefer Afro jazz. However, the resident DJ Prince Dingalo said on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, jazz lovers can bring their own collections to be played at the club.  He said they play what they call the collectors' items.

Dingalo urged jazz lovers to come in large numbers during the weekdays so that they could have fun.  He said they could get an opportunity to listen to their music with other jazz lovers.  He added that they could also utilise that time to discuss jazz music in general.

Dingalo said on Thursday they play old 'skool' or rather the '80s popular music by American groups like Kool and the Gang.  He revealed that he has a variety of old 'skool' type of music, adding that you could also request the DJ to play your favourite tracks.

Dingalo said during the week, they sell their beverages at half price.  He said there is also a restaurant, which is offering meals. Dingalo said the attendance has not been impressive because people are not used to club operating during the week.  'But eventually people will get used to the idea,' he said. 

Besides operating during the week, the weekends seem to have improved. 

In the past it was like the DJ was playing programmed music. But things have changed as the DJ is playing different categories of jazz music and is not boring the patrons with the same stuff.

Satchmo's is one of the few Gaborone joints offering jazz music.  In the past the venue also hosted live shows.  However, live shows were discontinued after government cut nightclubs' operating hours.

Other Gaborone jazz venues are Eros and Millennium Jazz Restaurant.