Helen Herimbi & Theresa Smith
THE second announcement of artists who will perform at the 17th annual Cape Town International Jazz Festival was made yesterday.
Taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on April 1 and 2, weekend pass tickets have already sold out, but day passes are still available at Computicket.
Afrika Mkhize was one of the performers included in the first announcement of the line-up for next year’s festival, but due to technical difficulties, he will no longer be present.
Instead, Nduduzo Makhathini will perform. The 2015 Standard Bank Young Artist Award recipient for jazz will be in concert with Eddy Parker.
Dr Victor and The Rasta Rebels are also on the bill. The If You Wanna Be Happy gang are veterans of the South African afro-pop scene and are popular for their reggae-tinged songs.
There will be a special segment titled Ladies In Song that will see singers like Dorothy Masuka and Abigail Khubeka being accompanied by pennywhistle pioneer, Lemmy “Special” Mabaso.
Pianist, Bokani Dyer, opened the London Jazz Festival last year and next year he’ll be back in Cape Town. Earlier this year his album World Music, came out. It draws on a multitude of styles for an anti-genre album that is world class.
Guitarist Derek Gripper uses a six-string classical guitar to perfectly replicate the sound of the Kora – doing full justice to the complexity of Kora maestros. He combines the precision of the classical guitarist with the passion of the improvisational nature of the original compositions for a magical experience.
Electronic artist, Felix Laband, returns to the South African stage after a long hiatus and will be collaborating with Gripper. Laband is known for incorporating different musical styles and sounds and sampling recorded sounds to work with a live artist on stage, so this should be interesting.
Having found a new home on the Native Rhythms recording label, Driemanskap are reviving their blend of conscious Xhosa rap. The Capetonians are passionate about their culture and their community.
Ramon Alexander is a South African pianist who has a passion for keeping the past alive. Although a qualified winemaker, Alexander has decided to pursue music with his trio which consists of Jeremy Titus on bass and Annemie Nel on drums.
French singer, Laetitia Dana is a pleasure to listen to, with her mixture of jazz and hip hop. She’s known for covering songs like Busta Rhymes’s Woohah as well as her own jams on her newest offering, Iboga.
American vocalist Sheila E.’s music fuses pop, R&B, funk, rock, Latin and jazz, creating a unique signature that has been heard in solo and as support.
South Africa’s Cameron Ward is a jazz guitarist who was discovered by Jimmy Dludlu and has played far and wide. Hailing from the Cape Flats, he has performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival and the Back to Black Jazz Festival in London and Brazil amongst others.
When it comes to great guitarists in South African jazz, Themba Mokoena’s name is one of the first mentioned. The Pietermaritzburg-born musician got his start in marabi and jazz bands of the 1960s and has worked with the likes of Steve Dyer and Herbie Tsoaeli.
In 2012, Tete Mbulelo Mbambisa released an album that saw him develop some of his greatest hits. It comprised of revolutionary songs such as Black Heroes – which he released in 1976. Today, the pianist is still revered for putting history to music.
Live electronic act Christian Tiger School are Luc Vermeer and Sebastiano Zenasi. The Cape Town lads combine their love of hip hop and electronic music in the work, although the more recent influence of house and techno has seen them move into experimental electronica.
American vocalist Cassandra Wilson is known for incorporating blues, country and folk music into her work, though both her Grammies are for best jazz vocal performance.
Every year the jazz festival give a school jazz band a chance to show off their stuff and next year it is the Elsies River School Band’s turn. Though the school itself doesn’t have a music department, the band started as a community project under the mentorship of Camilo Lombard and Donveno Prins.
The Sekunjalo Edujazz Band will also get a chance to take to the stage, under the leadership of Terence Scarr, head of music at Rondebosch Boys High School. This band draws on the best music students studying at Stellenbosch University, the University of Cape Town and Rondebosch Boys High.
First conceptualised in 2008, Jozefinn Austral View is a project between artists from Reunion, South Africa, Mozambique and Madagascar.
Led by guitarist-composer Jean Pierre Jozefinn, the project explores the idea of musical syncretism by drawing on the traditions of jazz. They recently released their first album, Trapdanza. The band are Jozefinn on guitar and vocals, Jacky Boyer on double bass, Bongani Sotshononda on marimba and vocals, Frank Paco on drums and vocals and Andry Michael Randriantseva on keyboards, trombone and vocals.
Don’t miss these and previously-announced musos like Amadou and Mariam, Angie Stone, Thandi Ntuli, Khuli Chana and more.
The 17th Cape Town International Jazz Festival is at the Cape Town ICC on April 1 and 2. Tickets are at Computicket.