NOW expanded to take place over three weekends beginning on Friday, 3 July 2026, the popular Spier event The Routes of Sound will showcase more than 40 local musicians. (Read more here.) Among them is acclaimed South African jazz drummer and percussionist Jonno Sweetman who will be joining fellow band members for the closing acts on 3 and 4 July, and again on 21 and 22 August.
The two bands will have similar instrumentation and as the drummer Sweetman will be the constant throughout. “The first is with my good friend Nkosenathi Koela, a great percussionist and vocalist. He also plays indigenous instruments. He and I have been collaborating for a while and this is an extension of that, rooted in African groove with reference to traditional music mostly from his culture, in Xhosa,” says Sweetman.
They will be joined by Nomapostile Nyiki, a great vocalist who also plays traditional instruments. and a young guitarist Uviwe Caso. “He plays jazz mostly but it’s going to morph into something a bit different for this one. I haven’t played with him before but have been watching him so I’m looking forward to seeing what happens there.
The second closing act is reiteration of one of the first acts Sweetman did at The Routes Of Sound. It will feature Reza Khota on guitar, Lungiswa Plaatjies on vocals and traditional instruments, and Sean Sanby, jazz bass player and composer. “He’s going to be playing double bass, which is exciting,” says Sweetman. “We’ll also be investigating traditional African music styles.”
At The Routes Of Sound, audiences are invited on a journey of musical discovery, experiencing three diverse performances paired with Spier’s award-winning Creative Block wines in some of the farms most distinctive spaces, before gathering for a vibrant finale concert. “It’s a unique musical festival or event in that an artist can really provide a very intimate performance and for the audience,” says Sweetman. “They can really get a sense of the artist. Even though it is a performance I feel it’s more of a sharing experience than a clinical prepared performance; audiences can get up close to that.”Sweetman has been professionally playing and performing jazz on the Cape Town scene for nearly 20 years. “I’ve seen things come and go, and played with many great artists,” he says. “It’s great to see a lot of young people becoming really interested in jazz and some cool exciting things which are not hardcore jazz. This will help the genre grow and develop and will make South African SA jazz strong art form going forward.”
Sweetman plays with multiple musicians, including the Kyle Shepherd Trio, which has been going for 18 years. “The bonus of playing with different acts is to be able to enjoy the full mix of everything that’s happening and get a full grasp of real South Africa culture from every avenue,” he says. “I feel I have a deep understanding of what’s happening here musically, from blues, rock n roll, indie, pop to improvised free art music. It’s a privilege which I see as a blessing.”
