2013! We seem to
have all made it – Thank goodness. Now it’s time to plan the year and although
you know we’re all about fashion, including some of the best lifestyle events
in South Africa is just as fashionable. One such high-end, top quality event is
the amazing Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF). The festival now in
its 14th year, is probably one of the biggest music events on the
international calendar. Pooling some rather talented musical acts from across
the globe, it’s one of South Africa’s premier events and also encourages
healthy economic activity in both Cape Town and South Africa during its
weekend.
This year, the
Cape Town International Convention Centre, according to espAfrika, will play
host to the CTIJF on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th April
2013. Here is a very brief round-up of the first artists to be announced to be
performing at the festival this year:
International Acts:
Buena Vista
Social Club featuring Omara Portuondo (Cuba)
The Buena Vista Social Club in Havana,
Cuba was a thriving club where musicians, dancers and revelers used to gather
in the 1940s. Fifty years after the Cuban Revolution of 1959 when the club was
closed, a collaboration between traditional Cuban musicians, including those
who had performed at the club, resulted in an album called the Buena Vista
Social Club. A documentary was made during a performance in New York triggering
huge international interest in traditional Cuban music. The Buena Vista Social
Club became a brand encapsulating Cuba's ‘musical golden age’ between the 1930s
and 1950s. The most recognizable artists in the ensemble Compay Segundo, Rubén
González, and Ibrahim Ferrer sadly died in the early 2000s. Surviving members,
including trumpeter Manuel ‘Guajiro’ Mirabal, laúd player Barbarito Torres and
trombonist-conductor Jesus ‘Aguaje’ Ramos, teamed up with singers Carlos
Calunga and Omara Portuondo, virtuoso pianist Rolando Luna and others to form a
13-member band called Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club. The troupe currently
tour worldwide.
For more information go to www.buenavistasocialclub.com
Jack Dejohnette
Trio (USA)
Renowned artists Jack DeJohnette, Ravi
Coltrane, Matt Garrison come together as a groundbreaking jazz trio in a
reunion 20 years in the making and which is a celebration of an original event
at the Brooklyn Museum in New York.
In 1993 the trio celebrated the music of the great John Coltrane and
today their collaboration explores open improvisation as well as their own
compositions. In a career spanning
five decades, Grammy winner Jack DeJohnette has established an unchallenged
reputation as one of history’s greatest drummers. His prowess incorporates hard
bop, R&B, world music, avant-garde, and just about every other style of
music as well.
Ravi Coltrane is a post-bop jazz
saxophonist and the second son of John and Alice Coltrane. His newest recording
is Spirit Fiction. Matthew Garrison spent the first eight years of his life
immersed in a community of musicians, dancers, visual artists and poets.
After the death of his father Jimmy
Garrison (John Coltrane’s bassist), his family relocated to Rome, where he
studied piano and bass guitar. In 1988 Garrison returned to the US, forming
GarrisonJazz Productions through which he currently produces, promotes and
markets his music.
For more information go to www.jackdejohnette.com/biography.
Brand New Heavies
(UK)
The Brand New Heavies started life in the
1980s as an instrumental acid jazz group called Brother International. As The
Brand New Heavies, they gained a cult following in London and soon signed to
Cooltempo. In 1990, the band issued a debut recording for Eddie Piller's Acid
Jazz label. A single, Got to Give, came out on Cooltempo before the Heavies
signed to Acid Jazz Records. A revamped version of the first album, with vocals
by N'Dea Davenport, was then released, and the singles Dream Come True, Never
Stop and Stay This Way became hits on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1994, the
Heavies released Brother Sister. Then, in 2000, the group released its greatest
hits album, Trunk Funk - The Best of The Brand New Heavies with Carleen
Anderson on vocals. In April 2006, the Heavies reunited with Davenport and
former label Delicious Vinyl and released, Get Used to It. In October 2009, the
Heavies released a 2-CD album Live In London and worked with Lancôme on an ad
campaign, resulting in the 2009 single C'est Magnifique. The Heavies released a
free download album called Dunk Your Trunk in November 2011. For 2013, the band
is planning to release its yet-to-be-named new studio album featuring Davenport
on vocals.
For more information go to www.thebrandnewheavies.net
Robert Glasper
Experiment (USA)
Pianist Robert Glasper continues to make
waves throughout the music world as leader of both the acoustic Robert Glasper
Trio (Chris Dave on drums and Vicente Archer on bass) and the Robert Glasper
Experiment. In the Experiment, Glasper explores fusions of jazz and hip hop,
blending funky jazz with electric hip-hop beats. The group is comprised of
internationally acclaimed cross-genre masters, drummer Chris Dave, bassist
Derrick Hodge and saxophonist/ vocalist Casey Benjamin. Special guests who have
worked with the Experiment include Q-Tip, Mos Def, Terence Blanchard and
neo-soul singer Bilal Oliver. Glasper’s first album Mood was released in 2004,
followed by three more albums between 2005 and 2009. In 2012, Glasper released
Black Radio, which featured performances by many neo-soul and hip hop artists
including Lupe Fiasco.
For more information visit www.robertglasper.com
Chano Dominguez
(Spain)
Spanish born Chano Domínguez is a Latin
jazz, post-bop and flamenco jazz pianist. He started playing flamenco guitar at
eight-years-old, and then took to the piano. Domínguez’s initial interest was in jazz fusion groups like
Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report, but he soon turned to the likes of
Bill Evans and Thelonious Monk. In his twenties he formed the progressive Latin
rock ensemble CAI, and when the group disbanded in 1981, Dominguez pursued a
solo career. He soon clocked up several awards for his pioneering mix of
flamenco and jazz music. After the release of his first solo album Chano, he
relocated to New York where he continued to produce what was considered
forward-thinking and completely cross-cultural music. His most recent album
"Flamenco Sketches" was released by Blue Note Records in March 2012
and features his signature style re-interpretation of Miles Davis "Kind of
Blue". The album earned him many accolades from the press with the New
York Times calling the album “A cultural re-imagining of “Kind of Blue” and
Wall Street Journal stating “Chano Dominguez is playing these melodies with
more beauty and imagination than virtually anyone since Miles Davis & Bill
Evans”.
For those fluent in Spanish, go to www.chanodominguez.net for more
information.
Gregory Porter
(USA)
Gregory Porter is an American jazz
vocalist, songwriter and actor focusing on jazz, blues, soul and gospel.
Porter’s musical career was launched in 1998 and a year later he was cast in
the original It Ain’t Nothin’ But Blues Broadway. He was nominated for Best
Jazz Vocal album for his debut album Water at the 2010 Grammy Awards. His
sophomore album Be Good released last year was internationally acclaimed for
its distinctive vocals and powerful composition. Porter has performed at
festivals such as the North Sea Jazz Festival and the National Black Arts
Festival in Atlanta. Recent performances include headlining the Wangaratta Jazz
Festival with the John McAll quartet in Australia in November 2012. Porter
currently resides in New York and is a resident performer at the popular Smoke
Jazz & Supper Club.
For more information go to www.gregoryporter.com
South African Acts:
Victor Ntoni
Victor Ntoni is affectionately known as
Bra Vic. A bassist, composer, singer, arranger and producer Ntoni’s ingenious
work can be heard in recent recordings of some of South Africa's A-List in
jazz. Hugh Masekela, Feya Faku, Vusi Khumalo, Lawrence Matshiza, Sylvia
Mdunyelwa and Andile Yenana (just to name a few) have all been privileged to
have his touch grace their work. Bra Vic performed in 1976 with American jazz
legend Dave Brubeck of the 60's hit Take Five, as a bassist at the Coliseum Theatre
in Johannesburg becoming the first ever Black South African to play with a
visiting foreign band. In the late
90s, he teamed up with Khaya Mahlangu, Vusi Khumalo and Hilton Schilder to form
Iconoclast. In 2013 he will be joined on stage Mahlangu, Schilder, Lawrence
Matshiza, and Lungile (Lulu) Maduna.
Jimmy Dludlu
Jimmy Dludlu is a self-taught acclaimed
guitarist, arranger, band leader and singer, known internationally for his
original African Jazz and fusion music. In the 1980's he performed with various
African musicians, including Anansi and Thomas Mapfumo. In the 1990’s, located
mainly in Johannesburg, he started performing in earnest and also set up the
group Loading Zone. The band backed several top South African stars like Hugh
Masekela, Miriam Makeba, Brenda Fassie and others resulting in further
recognition of Dludlu’s talent. In 1994, Dludlu performed in Grahamstown with
the international legend Herb Ellis. A year later, Dludlu began formal music
studies at UCT. The same year, he performed with Hugh Masekela, Busi Mhlongo,
Dolly Rathebe and Dorothy Masukain in Paris. Dludlu’s debut album Echoes from
the Past was released in September 1997 which earned him several awards and
recognition on the international stage. At the SAMA Awards in 2000, he won the
Best Male Artist and his Essence of Rhythm album earned him Best Contemporary
Jazz Album.
Visit Jimmy Dludlu’s Facebook page on http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jimmy-Dludlu-Fan-Page-/138480599568683
Errol Dyers
Acclaimed guitar maestro Errol Dyers is
highly respected as a pioneer of what has today become known as Cape
Jazz-Ghoema, which Dyers says emerged during apartheid as a cross between
traditional ‘lang arm’ and Cape Town carnival sounds. Dyers has performed, recorded and toured locally and
internationally with many great artists including the late Basil Coetzee,
Winston Mankunku, Abdullah Ibrahim, Robbie Jansen and McCoy Mrubata. With no
formal music training, he learnt his music on the streets of Cape Town, drawing
inspiration from the rhythms of the city. His debut album Sonesta stems from
the earliest strummings of the Cape people. The title of his more recent album
Kou Kou Wa comes from the colloquial name given to small mobiles that were set
up while townships were being built. Dyers’ most recent project is a
collaboration with well-known maestros Hilton Schilder and Steve Newman.
Reza Khota
Quartet
The Reza Khota Quartet is a collaborative
effort which successfully blends modern music with traditional jazz. The
members - Reza Khota, Jonno Sweetman, Shane Cooper and Buddy Wells - will be
bringing their distinct sound of rhythm, percussion and tone to the Cape Town
International Jazz Festival stage for the third time. Reza Khota has studied
music both in South Africa, and abroad. He combines his mature guitar skills
with a distinct voice. Saxophonist, Wells, has contributed to a number
SAMA–nominated projects across genres. He has been described as one of South
Africa’s musical gems due to his gentle touch but intense performance. Holding
the basis of the rhythmical and tonal space are two of the most in-demand
players in Cape Town, Shane Cooper
on contrabass and Jonno
Sweetman on drums.
For more information visit www.rezakhota.com
Zonke Dikana
Singer-songwriter Zonke Dikana hails from
the Eastern Cape and has established herself as a heavyweight on the music scene,
internationally and locally. Well known for her hit Jik’ Izinto Dikana’s talent
emanates from her drummer-father, whose marriage to Anneline Malebo from the
group Joy also helped kick-start her career. After writing a track for the
German band Jazz Cantina, a team of producers and engineers decided to record
her music and released what became an award-winning album under the name
Culture Clan. Zonke went on to record her first solo album entitled Solotary,
which was released in Italy, Germany and Japan. Meanwhile, her popularity on
the South African music scene escalated even further with the release of her
album Life, Love and Music. Behind the scenes she continued writing and making
hits for several local stars including Tshepo Tsholo and Theo Kgosinkwe.
Dikana’s album Ina Ethe, which translates as Give and Take from isiXhosa, was
released at the end of last year (2012).
Visit Zonke Dikana’s Facebook page on www.facebook.com/ZonkeDikana
Mi Casa
“Mi Casa is one of the most exciting new
live acts I’ve seen in all my time in this industry, their talent,
personalities, hard work and determination are a perfect recipe for success,”
said Harael Salkow of Soul Candi Records, when Mi Casa or My House released
their first album of the same name.
The band was established when three young musicians ‘free styled’ an
unrehearsed piece, blew the crowd away and decided to form a band. The musical
talent of Dr Duda (producer and club DJ), J-Something (vocalist and guitarist)
and Mo-T (trumpeter) combine to create an original soulful combination of
vocals, guitar, keyboard and trumpet.
Dr. Duda is an experienced and well-known DJ, while the band’s
singer-songwriter J'Something started playing guitar when he was eleven and has
played the instrument passionately since then. Trumpeter Mo-T learned the
instrument from his father, Kgleaasoane Banza, who played for Mango Groove.
For more information go to www.micasamusic.com
Khuli Chana
Khuli Chana is practiced in vernacular
rap, Motswako. In the 90s Chana was a member of duet Jazzadaz with Kay-G. As a
solo artists he has received high praise including taking home the Newcomer of
the Year award at the 2009 Channel O Awards and Song of the Year for his hit
song Tswak Sticke'm at the 2010 Hype Music Awards.
Visit Khuli Chana’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/KhuliChana01
AKA
Two of South Africa’s hip-hop young guns
will collaborate on stage at the CTIJF. AKA and Khuli Chana are currently
burning up the local charts with their slick urban and local sound.
AKA is more commonly known as Kieran
Forbes and started his music career as part of the group Entity which he formed
along with his schoolmates. He has enjoyed success as a solo artist with songs
such as Mistakes and Do It (which reached number one on 5FM’s Top 40).
Visit AKA’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/akaworldwide
This is merely the first of the artists to
be announced and already I have my eyes set on ninety percent of this list.
Actually, 100%. I’ll have to see AKA, it seems, if I watch Khuli Chana’s performance
– which I do want to do…
So keep your eyes posted on my blog for
further details, otherwise, go to www.capetownjazzfest.com.
All images supplied to Renaissance Men by espAfrika.
All images supplied to Renaissance Men by espAfrika.
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