Josh Hozheri has described opening Jazz 105 in Harare in 1999, borrowing the name from the street number of the venue on Robert Mugabe Road. Summer Breeze was an early resident band and visiting jazz groups from Bulawayo and Mutare helped it develop a following.

Jazz 105 became an environment where musicians could practise performing for live audiences, try new material and meet promoters. Reporting credits Hozheri's support for artists including Jah Prayzah and Victor Kunonga; this is a venue-and-mentorship story, not proof that any single club created their talent.

The Winter Jazz Festival expanded the stage to school jazz ensembles, including Prince Edward and Churchill, as well as regional and international performers. The historical venues, posters, Friday-night rituals and stories of who played before whom deserve preserving.

Jazz 105 later broadened its programming beyond jazz. A nostalgic archive must document venues as places of work for bartenders, sound engineers, promoters and technicians too, as well as for headline singers.

Explore more documented Zimbabwean Firsts & Breakthroughs ↗ or nominate somebody worth recognising ↗

Sources & further reading

Each entry is a starting point. Follow the original materials and suggest corrections where needed.

Help us get the story right.

Know a missing source, a different perspective or something we should correct?

Suggest a correction ↗