THIS evening you can expect a fusion of jazz, spoken word and song in The Awakening at the UKZN Centre for Jazz and Popular Music.
Over the years, numerous artists have expressed through art the love God has for his greatest creation, man.
A press release states the love is portrayed through the poetry of Kabir, Hafiz, Rumi and The Song of Solomon, with great imagery and desire.
Pianist and composer Burton Naidoo and Gisele Turner (pictured) have chosen these works as a vehicle. The Awakening is a call for us all to find our “first fruit” and ignite our passion for the divine, through song, word and improvisation.
Naidoo and Turner chatted to Tonight about the show and what they hope to achieve.
“Basically, I find man was made to worship something. Rumi, Kabir and The Song of Solomon can capture the essence of the love God has for man through poetry. So our show includes a lot of free improvisation, melodies, Middle Eastern rhythms and 20th century compositional elements,” says Naidoo.
Featuring Naidoo on piano, Turner (spoken word), Lauren Dassapa (voice), Salim Washington (flute) and Jude Kenrick (percussion), The Awakening is a multi-genre show with a separate theme.
This is the duo’s first collaboration and they are ecstatic.
“I found Burton’s work has opened up these amazing scriptures of spirituality. It’s really resonant music. If we get a good response there is certainly potential opportunity for a further experience,” says Turner.
The Awakening, which runs for about an hour, is said to be a very different form of art as it speaks to the inside.
Naidoo says: “It’s something that will make you think about your existence, in a sense. It speaks to the spiritual side of it, to be awakened really, which is why I called it The Awakening.”
• The Awakening, tonight, UKZN Centre for Jazz and Popular Music. 6pm. R40, pensioners R20, students R15. Call 031 260 3385.