Buena Vista Social Club, Brand New Heavies headline CT Jazz Festival

For the first time, CTIJF audiences will be able to experience the Buena Vista Social Club featuring Omara Portuondo (Cuba). A celebration of traditional Cuban music popularised in the members club with the same name in Havana, Buena Vista Social Club became an international success thanks to a widely acclaimed studio album release in 1997 and an Academy Award-nominated documentary, which captured their two live performances released in 1999.

Bassist, composer, singer, arranger and producer Victor Ntoni (SA) headlines the list of premier South African acts that will perform at the festival. Bra Vic (as he is widely known) is a musician of note on the South African music scene. At this year's festival Ntoni presents Iconoclast, featuring Khaya Mahlangu, Lawrence Matshiza, Lungile (Lulu) Maduna and Hilton Schilder.

A reunion 20 years in the making

Jack DeJohnette, Ravi Coltrane and Matt Garrison will come together at the CTIJF as part of a ground-breaking Jack Dejohnette Trio (US). Ravi, Jack and Matt (US) is a reunion 20 years in the making and is a celebration of an original event at the Brooklyn Museum in New York. The trio celebrated the music of the great John Coltrane then and today their collaboration explores open improvisation as well as their own compositions.

Acid funk jazz group the Brand New Heavies (UK) will provide some nostalgia at the CTIJF with hits like Never Stop, Dream Come True and You Are The Universe.

Jazz aficionados will also welcome the news that South African singer Jimmy Dludlu will be on the 2013 bill. Dludlu is a self-taught guitarist, arranger, band leader and singer, known internationally for his original African jazz and fusion music.

Pianist Robert Glasper Experiment (US) continues to make waves throughout the music world as leader of both the acoustic Robert Glasper Trio (Chris Dave on drums and Vicente Archer on bass) and the Robert Glasper Experiment, in which he explores fusions of jazz and hip hop. The Experiment blends funky jazz with electric hip hop beats and comprises the cross-genre masters: drummer Chris Dave, bassist Derrick Hodge and saxophonist/vocalist Casey Benjamin.

Traditional langarm and the Cape Town carnival sound

Errol Dyers (SA) will bring his unique cross between the traditional langarm and the Cape Town carnival sound to audience at the CTIJF. The Cape Town jazz guitarist is highly respected as a pioneer of what has today become known as Cape Jazz-Ghoema. His performance will present audiences with a journey through Cape music styles and heritage, using words and music ranging from Moppies, Liedjies, Goema, Mbaqanga and Cape Jazz. This seven-piece band, with a rhythm section and brass, will feature some of SA's most established and up-and-coming youths.

The Reza Khota Quartet (SA) will return to the CTIJF in 2013. Led by vocalist and guitarist Reza the quartet also features Shane Cooper on bass, Buddy Wells on sax and Jonno Sweetman on drums.

Latin jazz pianist Chano Dominguez (Spain) will be another treat for serious jazz lovers. Dominguez makes post-bop-, fusion-, and flamenco-influenced music that often references his Andalusian roots. His most recent album "Flamenco Sketches" was released by Blue Note Records in March 2012 and features his signature style reinterpretation of Miles Davis' Kind Of Blue. Dominguez will be joined by Blas Cordoba on vocals and percussion, Ben Street on bass and Dafnis Prieto on drums.

Soul singer Zonke Dikana (SA) has established herself as a heavyweight on the music scene, easily capable of ascending local radio charts with both her song writing and solo work.

Audiences interested in South Africa's urban sound will be able to see soulful house three-piece Mi Casa as well as hip hop duo Khuli Chana and AKA.

Mi Casa's hits Heavenly Sent and These Streets off their eponymous album have enjoyed major airplay on South African radio.

Khuli Chana is practised in vernacular rap, Motswako, and earned huge success in 2010 for his Tswak Sticke'm, while AKA, real name Kieran Forbes, made waves on the local scene for his hits Mistakes and Do It. Together, they are fast becoming known for a slick and distinctively South African urban sound.

Jazz vocalist, songwriter and actor Gregory Porter (US) rounds off the initial list of artists that will form part of the 2013 CTIJF. Porter's 2010 debut album "Water" was nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards.

Tickets

Tickets for this year's event will go on sale on Saturday, 1 December, and will be available for purchase at Computicket outlets, Shoprite Checker's outlets and via the Computicket website.

The ticket prices are as follows - day passes: R440; weekend passes: R645; and Rosies Stage tickets are R30 (per performance).

For more information on this year's event, go to www.capetownjazzfest.com