Cape Town City Hall is an iconic venue, no matter how you look at it. And when you consider that the room is an acoustic dream, then it’s a no-brainer that watching live performances there will be a treat.
That’s why the City Hall Music Sessions are a welcome return to the building. Last year, it was announced that the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund had put up the cash so there could be a two-year programme of live music events in this cultural space.
Steve Gordon, who is the programme manager, has said that “during 2008, the City of Cape Town and Cape Town Partnership were in discussion towards a long-term leasing of City Hall to a non-profit entity, to manage it as a cultural space and development hub.
“The music programme was conceived as a catalyst of flagship concerts, to put the venue on the map and schedule world-class events alongside existing local initiatives and promotions. The lease plan fell away, but in the interim the proposal for the music programme was awarded |a grant from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund.”
Last year kicked off with |a bang. SA muso Thandiswa Mazwai was one of the first to grace the stage and put on an amazing performance. Then |the City Hall was filled with |the sounds of Kesivan and the |Lights, a group who impressed the packed hall with their enlightening jazz delivery.
Another eye-opening moment for those people who don’t get to hear musicians who aren’t often played on mainstream radio came when notable guitarists Ray |Lema of France, by way of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Brazil’s Chico Cesar collaborated on stage.
As Gordon explained: “The acoustics in the auditorium are great for classical music and opera, but awful for amplified music or percussion.
“That places much contemporary popular and indigenous music at a disadvantage when working in this beautiful hall.
“We purposefully selected a line-up which we hope will be manageable in the challenging acoustic of the City Hall.
“The bill pulls together Cape Town, national and international artists. We present new sounds alongside known: that’s a direction we’ll pursue in the City Hall Music Series.”
The sessions are meant to shine a light on musicians from Cape Town, but are not limited to them. They also seek to bring to the fore musicians from around Africa and the diaspora as well as other parts of Mzansi.
To begin the 2012 leg of the City Hall Sessions on Tuesday, acclaimed Senegalese musician Ismaël Lô will be in top form.
So will the internationally known Nyanga reggae band, Azania Ghetto Sound.
In light of Human Rights Day next week, the musicians were asked to include in their sets a song of their choice that speaks to the rights of people being won or infringed upon.
DJ Jumbo van Renen will also play to this theme in between the performances.
In July and September, more acts will grace the City Hall stage.
We look forward to those sessions.
• This Cape Town City Hall Session takes place at the Cape Town City Hall on Tuesday at 8pm. Tickets for this show are priced at R75 (unreserved) and R120 (reserved seating upstairs), and are available from Computicket.