Ramatsiyi Moholoa

Ramatsiyi Moholoa

The Gauteng government will launch a jazz orchestra next week as part of the eagerly awaited 2009 Soccerex festivities in Sandton.

MEC for sports, arts, culture and recreation Barbara Creecy said the Gauteng Jazz Orchestra will help strengthen the province's position as a "Home of Jazz".

Creecy was addressing the media at the Gauteng legislature, where other MECs also dealt with the programmes in their departments.

"The best jazz graduates will be recruited for the orchestra and work with Gauteng's best jazz musos in developing the orchestra," Creecy said.

"Working initially with one of South Africa's most esteemed trumpeters, Johnny Mekoa, the orchestra will provide a stepping stone to the industry for young and aspiring jazz graduates."

Gauteng is hosting Soccerex, an annual soccer exhibition, which is attended by the who's who of sports and business in the country and from abroad . Soccerex is expected to inject more than R50million into the province's economy and among the dignitaries expected to attend will be Fifa president Sepp Blatter.

Soccerex, which will cater for an exhibition area of 300 stands, will attract just more than 4000 delegates from 95 countries.

Sowetan is the media partner of the Soccerex exhibition.