JOHANNESBURG – Standard Bank Young Artist winner Gabi Motuba says performing alongside American jazz vocalist Kurt Elling at the 2026 Standard Bank Joy of Jazz will be a full circle moment.
The Mamelodi-raised artist has been named among the top artists who serenade music lovers at this year’s festival set to take place on 25 and 26 September.
The lineup features global and South African stars including Floetry, Angélique Kidjo, McCoy Mrubata and Thandiswa Mazwai among others.
“It’s incredible. It’s quite surreal experience,” Motuba told eNCA.
“I remember going to one of the Joy of Jazz concerts and watching Kurt Elling, and now I’m on that very spot. It’s such a full circle moment for me because that was such a significant experience.”
Motuba will perform songs from her recent musical project Sounds from a Black Girl, which is a mix of neo soul and improvision.
“This offering is a meditation on affirmations. After coming from a sabbath themed around grief, I’m lucky to have come out on the other side. This is the tone of the album. I want it to arm young girls for a world that is not always accepting.”
For Motuba, Jazz is not just music but a way of life.
“Jazz has three major principles, which I live by: Improvisation, discipline and innovation. This has been the principle of how I navigate this life, with a little bit of creativity. These are the principles I employ in my music and personal life.
For those who will be hearing Motuba for the first time, the musician says she wants her performance to make people leave with a better sense of courage and bravery.
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“I think my music carries a lot of that. When people leave, they always tell me how inspired they are. These are the kinds of meditations that I love to resonate in my music because it also helps me, it’s our journey together.”
Besides rehearsing for the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz, Motuba will be performing at the Untitled Basement in Braamfontein on 20 August alongside Kwantu Choir.
“It’ll be a beautiful spiritual experience and a little bit of church,” she adds.