The Zimbabwe Jazz Community Trust (ZJCT) and Alliance Française are hosting the 2025 Zimbabwe Jazz Festival in Bulawayo and Harare next weekend.
Next Friday, the festival kicks off at Alliance Française in Bulawayo.
The line-up includes well-known musicians like vocalist Dudu Manhenga and saxophonist Vee Mukarati.
The Frank Salis Experience, a unique collaboration featuring artists from Zimbabwe, Italy, Zambia, Switzerland, and the United States, will also perform, alongside the Tich Makalisa Band.
The festival continues the following day at Alliance Française de Harare, from 2pm to 10pm.
The Harare event features a diverse range of artists, including returning performers Vee Mukarati and the Frank Salis Experience.
Other acts include bassist Josh Meck, singer Rute Mbangwa, Charles Banda (Mahlaba) of Sunduza, township jazz collective Mbare Jazz, and vocalist NokuTenda with The Legacy Band.
ZJCT artistic director Filbert Marova describes the festival as a “vibrant celebration of music’s power to connect us.”
He notes that the 2025 programme blends jazz heritage with innovative new sounds.
This year’s event highlights the Frank Salis Experience – The Zambezi Sessions, a project that brings together musicians from multiple countries, showcasing music as a tool for cultural exchange.
This partnership between the ZJCT, founded in 2016 to promote and preserve Zimbabwean jazz, and Alliance Française, aims to strengthen the country's jazz scene and its international connections.
Guillaume Ripaud, director of Alliance Française Bulawayo, highlighted that the festival is gaining more recognition each year and becoming a key part of their music programming.