Cape Town Jazz festival ‘magical and mesmerising’

Neo-soul queen Erykah Badu had audience members hypnotised with her headlining set. The 30-minute delay at the overflowing Kippies stage over the weekend literally heightened the excitement of the die-hard fans.

Dressed in a black zipped-up leather jacket with protruding blue feathers, an African print head wrap and black hat, Badu walked on stage to a roaring crowd while first taking a sip of tea and clearing her throat before belting out hit after hit.

The Grammy award-winning artist switched between vocals and her electronic pad creating live synth melodies and a drumming sequence intro into her hit, Love Of My Life.

The raw and high-energy performance also saw an emotional Badu dedicate a special moment to her sister on her birthday, who she had on stage as a backing vocalist.

The Cape Town International Convention Centre vibrated throughout the weekend across the various stages.

This year the Moses Molelekwa stage showcased a more diverse sound than the usual jazz. Soul, R&B and electronic artist Mathew Gold, kicked off Friday night’s show in dance following the immensely talented funk and killer groove US instrumental collective Snarky Puppy.

The intimate Rosies stage was met with Carmen Lundy’s moving performance of Blue Note by late Fatima Benjamin.

Another tribute was Kirk Whalum’s soothing rendition of Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You over at the Kippies stage. Mi Casa’s addition of congas and a saxophone made for a winning Latin flavoured sound along with a surprise duet with Jimmy Nevis.

But Australian outfit Hiatus Kaiyote was undeniably the gem of Saturday night with their magical eclectic sounds that further transcended into the magic in soul that was Erykah Badu.