Jazz melodies filled the air at the National Theatre of Namibia, as jazz lovers gathered to celebrate International Jazz Day on Tuesday.
The atmosphere inside the venue was electric, with the sounds of Sharon van Rooi, Erna Chimu, Slow and Suzy Eises moving the crowd.
Host of Desert Radio music show Urban Grooves Kagiso Moloi says International Jazz Day is important, as it is a tool that can be used to reach common ground and foster democracy, especially in the current time of war.
“It’s a language that everyone can understand… It is an art form that is used for entertainment and acts as a sort of freedom for jazz players,” he says.
Moloi says jazz also helps stimuluate chilren’s brain cells if the mother listen to jazz while pregnant, adding that the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, along with Unesco, have embarked on a mission to teach music to children in schools in Namibia.
“It will take about ten months, then there will be workshops around the country teaching music on different instruments and music as a business,” he says.
Moloi says International Jazz Day is an opportunity to raise awareness of the benefits of jazz as an educational tool, as well as a catalyst for cultural exchange.
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