The Millennium Jazz haven is the place to be

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Thursday January 17, 2008 00:00

It is certainly the place to be on late Sunday afternoons. It is one of the jaunts where you can sip a glass of wine while listening to the blues as DJ Vavo dishes out melodies every weekend.

On New Year's eve, it was happening with a festival featuring Afro jazz/pop musicians like Banjo Mosele, Punah Gabasiane and Nono Siile.  

A huge crowd had turned up for the festival, which was spiced up by fireworks to celebrate the New Year.

But unfortunately for revellers, a platoon of police officers stormed the place at midnight and halted the show. Despite pleas from revellers, the police would not relent and stopped the music and the bar was closed. But there were no nasty incidents as people left peacefully. The Millennium Jazz Restaurant is renowned for promoting local artistes. It has also hosted international artistes, especially from South Africa. It is partly owned by Shima Monageng, the presenter of the Gabz FM Sunday jazz programme. On Sunday afternoons, the restaurant is tuned to the Gabz FM jazz show.

Monageng told Showbiz that they are looking forward to a hectic schedule this year as they plan to stage numerous live shows and other activities before winter. 

'We are going to concentrate on promoting local talent, especially artistes who have released albums so that we promote their music,' says the jazzman popularly known as 'Uncle Shima'.

Monageng says the New Year bash was a rousing success. Monageng also spoke with relish about the good times ahead. 'We are going to have a St Valentine's Day with a difference. We want to host a Miss Millenium Jazz beauty contest on that day.'

The pageant will be unique in the sense that only the over-40s will be allowed to enter the competition, as organisers' objective is to cater for a mature group. 

Already 10 women have shown interest in the pageant. Those interested can contact the Millennium Restaurant for full details.

Fortunately for the contestants, there will be no auditions since the competition is open to adults. Also there will be no prescribed attire. Monageng says they intend to approach some eminent persons as judges for the pageant. 

Another event on the cards is a thanks-giving ceremony. Monageng says during the course of the year, they will organise an event to thank their customers for their loyalty. 'We also intend to organise a festival featuring jazz inclined artistes as a tribute to the late Duncan Senyatso. I have spoken to his brothers who have released a DVD of Senyatso's songs. We would also use the occasion to launch the DVD,' he says.

Monageng says they are going to continue to promote artists. He says in the past, they had hosted young unknown international artistes. 'We are renowned for unearthing talent when they are not well known like Don Laka.'

He says when they host unknown foreign artistes, it also inspires local musicians when they see that such artistes attract good crowds.

Monageng says they have also entered into an agreement with Satmos Jazz Cafe to co-host foreign artistes. He says to cut costs, when a foreign artiste has been brought by one of the clubs, he/she could play at both venues on different dates.