The Luanda International Jazz Festival is launched in Luanda, Angola

The Luanda International Jazz Festival was launched on 31 July 2009 in Luanda, Angola. It has been held annually since then. The inaugural festival was produced and managed by Ritek, the same company that sponsors the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. The inaugural festival brought together jazz artists from Angola, Brazil, United States, South Africa and many other countries. Amongst the artists featured were South Africa’s Freshly Ground, Lira and Jimmy Dludlu, Brazil’s Vanessa Da Mata and Angola’s Paulo Flores, Afrikkanitha, Sandra Corderio, Toto and Dodo Miranda.