Stellenbosch University Division for Social Impact in partnership with Stellenbosch University Jazz Band under the direction of Felicia Lesch present an online fundraising concert for the Ronnie Samaai Music Education Project.

Stellenbosch University (SU) Jazz Band take centre stage joined by South African jazz legend Gloria Bosman. Multiple award winning songstress, Gloria Bosman, who studied Opera at the former Technikon Pretoria (now TUT), is best known as a vocalist in Jazz, Rock and Gospel. She is also a producer, composer, vocal coach and presenter. For this concert, this Standard Bank Young Artist of 2000, winner of numerous SAMA awards, and KORA and NALEDI awards nominee performs some of her own new compositions as well as jazz standards. Felicia Lesch is passionate about music as a vehicle for social change and formed the SU Jazz Band as one of the ensembles of the Certificate Programme.

Traditionally, the SU Jazz Band hosts an annual concert which benefits one of its community partners. This year, the beneficiary of this concert is the Ronnie Samaai Music Education Project which is based at Kuilsriver Technical High School. The Project was launched in 1997, by Ronnie Samaai as part of Yehudi Menuhin’s “Violins for Africa” initiative. Since then, it has entailed weekly music classes on Saturday mornings, including practical instrument performance, music literacy and ensemble playing. The project offers training in orchestral instruments and recorder to children from the age of 7 to 16. The project places an emphasis on hard work, passion for music and commitment and several students from the project have proceeded into tertiary education in music.

All proceeds from ticket sales for this online concert will go directly to the Ronnie Samaai Music Education Project. The concert was recorded live at the Endler Hall, Stellenbosch on 23 October 2021 and is available online from 21-28 November 2021.