Dludlu set to perform at ‘Jazz Encounters’

INTERNATIONALLY acclaimed jazz musician Jimmy Dludlu will head this year’s Old Mutual Jazz Encounters, scheduled to be held at the Vegkop Sport Stadium in Windhoek on Saturday, October 8.

Rhythm master Dludlu is no stranger to the Namibian music scene – he used to grace Windhoek night clubs with one of South Africa’s super groups of the 1990s, Loading Zone.He’s even said that a highlight of his teething years as a musician was his 1992 tour with Loading Zone to Namibia, where they were spotted by Zairean music legend, Papa Wemba, who subsequently asked the band to back him on several dates in Namibia.Dludlu first made contact with a guitar when he was 13 years old. He picked up his cousin’s home-made guitar and started teaching himself to play by imitating the jazz and African music he heard on radio.He is also a two-time winner of the ‘Best Male Artist’ at the South African Music Awards – taking the crown in 1998 and 2006.The popular annual event has also attracted the soulful Simphiwe Dana, considered to be South Africa’s hottest jazz property at the moment, and the owner of a ‘Best Newcomer’ and ‘Best Female Artist’ from the South African Music Awards (2005 and 2007).The two South African artists will be joined by a host of Namibian performers like Adora, Big Ben, The Fu Jazz All Stars Band, Rehoboth-based Major 7’s, Dantago and Tonetic.