Lauryn Hill, Bra Hugh up jazz fest fever

Published Mar 29, 2012

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Jazz fans are descending on the Mother City for the 13th annual Cape Town International Jazz Festival.

The event starts tomorrow and all 34 000 tickets have been snapped up. The anticipated attendance figure has come a long way from the initial 14 000 people in 2000.

So what’s got everyone so excited? Grammy Award-winning vocalist Lauryn Hill.

Hill, who rose to fame as part of rap-soul outfit The Fugees, is headlining the festival with a performance on the final day.

“We are extremely excited about the addition of Lauryn Hill,” said Rashid Lombard, chief executive of ESP Afrika and festival director. “She is an exceptional artist and festival-goers can expect a sensational show.”

Hill, who is set to perform on the Kippies stage on Saturday, was booked when singer Jill Scott cancelled her performance in favour of a film role.

Hugh Masekela is another big name gracing the same stage. The trumpeter and band leader will perform in honour of celebrated SA singer Miriam Makeba, who died in November 2008. Titled Tribute to Mama Afrika, the show will see Masekela team up with three vocalists, including Zolani Mahola of FreshlyGround fame.

According to Jazz Times, the show has already wowed audiences in France, Germany, Spain and England.

Other jazz stalwarts, with a collection of Grammy nominations and awards between them, will also be performing.

International acts such as Dave Koz and James Ingram are expected to treat their audiences to award-winning performances.

But it’s not all seasoned veterans and smooth jazz. This year, much like the year before, the festival will embrace genres with tentative links to jazz, bringing in hip hop, soul and even electro-swing acts.

“We try to cater to all music lovers, from the jazz purist to the person who just loves to listen to music,” said ESP Africa representative Carenza van Willingh.

Audiences can also expect SA flavour from various local artists like MTV Africa award winner HHP and self-proclaimed people’s person Zakes Bantwini – who is ready to make the crowd “shake their bum bum”.

Unathi Nkayi, a popular Afro-soul artist, is also appearing at the festival. She told Channel O that, while she was excited about the opportunity, she was “nervous” to impress an audience that “knows what they want”.

Melodytrip, an online destination for music festival news and information, has ranked the festival as the number four event in the world, beating Switzerland’s Montreaux Festival and the North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland.

 

 

Big names set to get in on the act:

 

Allen Stone (US)

With shaggy long hair and wide-rimmed glasses, Stone doesn’t look like your typical soul artist. But as soon as he opens his mouth, this Washington DC singer-songwriter who has released both of his albums independently, is known to blow audiences away. His self-titled sophomore offering has gained him comparisons with Stevie Wonder.

 

Andre Petersen Quintet (SA)

Pianist Andre Petersen will play with New York saxophonist Marcus Strickland, bassist Reggie Washington, percussionist Dre Pallemaerts and vocalist Chantal Willie. They will launch their debut album at the festival.

 

Atmosphere (US)

This rap group, made up of rapper Slug (Sean Daley) and DJ/producer Ant (Anthony Davis), hail from Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are often likened to People Under The Stairs.

 

Brubecks play Brubeck (US)

Pianist Darius Brubeck, lead Chris Brubeck (trombone and bass guitar), drummer Dan Brubeck and woodwind specialist Mike Rossi. Their inventive style together is typified by an ability to explore and play odd-time signatures while drawing on blues, funk and world music.

 

David Sanchez (Puerto Rico) with Lionel Loueke (Benin)

Grammy award-winning tenor saxophonist Sanchez brings a percussive touch to his playing, drawing on Latin rhythms, while guitarist Loueke fuses traditional African music with modern jazz harmonies, a unique vocal inflection and complex time signatures.

 

Gabriel Tchiema (Angola)

This guitar-playing vocalist draws on (Angolan rhythm) Tchianda, Afrojazz and Afrofusion for his own sound. He has released two albums and is considered one of Angola’s foremost artists.

 

The Jason Reolon Trio (SA)

Reolon (piano), Wesley Rustin (bass) and Heinreich Goosen (drums) steer away from the theatrical for a low-key, studied approach, so their festival debut will be a treat for fans of cool jazz.

 

Jean Grae (US)

Daughter of SA jazz greats Abdullah Ibrahim and Sathima Bea Benjamin, New Yorker Jean Grae walks the hip hop path.

She took the name of the X-men character, and a mixture of dark humour and intelligent lyrics, as heard on This Week and Jeanius, are her musical super-powers. Kevin Mahogany (US)

Mahogany is scat baritone singer of note, and his style can be liked to that of Joe Williams and Johnny Hartman. Mahogany appeared in Robert Altman’s 1996 film Kansas City, playing a character said to be based on Kansas City singer Big Joe Turner.

 

Marcus Miller (US)

In 1988 and 1990 he appeared as musical director and house band bass player in the Sunday Night Live Band for Saturday Night Live. Miller is best known as a bassist, working with trumpeter Miles Davis, and as a composer, for Tutu, a piece that defined the trumpeter’s career in the late 1980s.

Mike Stern, Dave Weckl (US)

Stern was hailed Best Jazz Guitarist of 1993 by Guitar Player magazine, and in 2009 was listed on Down Beat’s list of 75 best jazz guitar players; Weckl is every drummer’s dream come true as highly acclaimed jazz fusion drummer.

 

Patti Austin Trio (US)

It’s her voice you hear on Michael Jackson’s cult classic It’s the Falling in Love on his album Off The Wall. A The R&B and jazz legend is also famous for her duets with James Ingram.

 

Pharoahe Monch (US)

An original signee of hip hop indi label Rawkus Records, Pharoahe Monch has been called a conscious rapper with the likes of Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def). His hit song, Simon Says (off the debut album, Internal Affairs), sampled the Godzilla theme song.

 

Ron Carter, Donald Harrison & Lenny White (US)

Double bassist Carter is also a cellist. Harrison is a saxophonist credited with creating the Nouveau Swing sound, and White is a self-taught jazz fusion drummer. Together they’re meant for the Rosies stage.

 

Xia Jia Trio (China)

Pianist Xia Jia, drummer Izumi Koga and bassist Zhang Ke perform Xia’s compositions, which are founded in the classical jazz idiom but incorporate Chinese musical themes.

 

WHERE AND WHEN

The Festival takes place on Friday and on Saturday at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

Doors open at 6pm tomorrow and the first show starts at 7pm. On Saturday the doors open at 4pm and the first show starts at 5pm.

For those who bought their tickets in time, here are some tips to make the evening go smoothly.

PARKING

In addition to the regular parking at the CTICC, there’s also parking at the Sars building on Hans Strijdom Avenue, the Heitman parking bays opposite the Media 24 building and under Table Bay Boulevard for R30.

The CTICC parking is closed to the public.

NEWCOMERS

Each of the stages are named and feature a broadly specific type of jazz.

If you’re into hip hop and R&B, head for Bassline; Moses Molelekwa is for the more adventurous interested in experimentation; while Rosies is for the serious at heart who stay quiet while listening and nod sagely.

The Kiepies stage is where you can overdose on nostalgia and sing along, while the big contemporary drawcards are usually |found at Basil “Manenberg” Coetzee inside.

MONEY MATTERS

There will not be a token system this year, cash only.

There are four ATMs: in the walkway, on the P3 level of the CTICC parking garage, in Convention Square and at the Bassline stage.

WHAT CAN I BUY

Everything from seafood to burgers, pizza and pancakes will be on sale, as well as alcohol and soft drinks courtesy of sponsors Distell, SAB and Pepsi.

You can also purchase jazz festival merchandising and CDs inside the convention centre.

ROSIES STAGE

You can buy tickets in advance from Computicket to the Rosies stage, or on the day at the Computicket booth for R30 per person per show.

This year’s artists are Herbie Tsoaeli (SA), Alfredo Rodriguez (Cuba), Victor Kula (SA), Steve Tyrell (SA), the Andre Petersen Quintet (SA), Patti Austin (US), Dorothy Masuka (SA) and Donald Harrison, Lenny White and Ron Carter (US) playing as a trio.

• Do wear comfortable shoes, you will be walking a lot

• Do not bring along a camera, food or water

• All five stages have wheelchair access.

• The Festival takes place on Friday, March 30 and Saturday, March 31 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

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