Finding the rhythm: My journey to the Joy of Jazz

21 Aug 2025 - 20:10

Published under the Creative Commons Licence

By Jessica Gbedemah

I have always been a lover of jazz. There is something about its rhythms and unpredictable melodies that speaks to me in a way few other genres can. Strangely, despite this passion, I have never attended a major jazz festival. My introduction to the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz was not through a concert ticket, but through an assignment in my first year at university. Researching the festival opened my eyes to its importance, not just as an event, but as a cultural movement that has preserved South Africa’s soul.

Caiphus Semenya.

This year, my anticipation feels even greater as I prepare to finally experience the Joy of Jazz in person. What has struck me recently is how jazz’s influence stretches far beyond festivals. The Scorpion Kings, Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa, are preparing a tribute to the legendary Caiphus Semenya on 29 August at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, and for me, that is deeply moving.

It is a fitting and powerful acknowledgement. Semenya’s music has been the heartbeat of South African jazz for decades — a soundtrack of resilience, love and healing. His songs carried communities through difficult times and shaped the soundscape of liberation. To see one of the biggest amapiano acts of today honour him shows just how timeless and influential his artistry is. It forms a bridge between generations, a reminder that while styles evolve, the roots of our music remain strong.

As a jazz lover, I cannot help but feel that this tribute is not just about music, but also about memory, gratitude and cultural continuity. It proves that the story of jazz is still unfolding, still relevant, and still shaping who we are.

For me, finally walking into the Joy of Jazz will be more than attending a festival. It will mean stepping into a space where music is medicine, where history meets the present, and where legends like Caiphus Semenya are honoured not only for what they gave us, but for how they continue to inspire the future.

Jazz, after all, is not only about sound. It is about healing, identity and the rhythms that carry us forward. And I, for one, cannot wait to be part of that rhythm this year.

Jessica Gbedemah is a final-year Public Relations and Communication Management student at the University of Johannesburg. She is the 2025 Student Public Relations Association chair, a Faculty of Humanities mentor, and project leader for the Inner-City Mission for Children in Diepsloot at the University’s Community Engagement unit. The views expressed in this article are hers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication.

Joy Of Jazz