Karen Rutter
WITH a voice that sounds like a sultry breeze blowing off the Indian Ocean, Jaco Maria has one of the most distinctive sounds in the country. This is why he’s been snatched up to sing with so many distinguished performers, from his early days with Ozila (formerly The Malopoets) to gigs with Miriam Makeba and Jimmy Dludlu.
Next month he’ll be showcasing his own unique style when he appears at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. He’s hand-picked his backing band, and he’ll be performing tracks off his latest CD, The Storyteller.
It’s Maria’s second time at the festival – he’s appeared with the band Loading Zone before – and he is feeling pretty good about coming back.
“It’s awesome, it’s a real privilege,” the singer said. “I plan to make it special. I’ll be featuring just about all the tracks off my CD, and I’ve got a young, vibrant group of musicians to play with. It’s going to be good.”
Maria described his music as “Afro-funk with a jazz influence” and himself as a world music artist. The Storyteller, he said, is an upbeat recording. “Some tracks are very danceable. I didn’t want a mainstream jazz album. Also, I am a very vibrant stage performer, I like all that sweating and running around, and I wanted that to come through in the music.”
Born in Mozambique, Maria came to South Africa in the 1980s and was soon recruited by the band Ozila, who had a huge hit with the song I’m Suffering.
”I was playing drums and singing in a trio, in a small Portuguese restaurant. These other guys had a gig down the road, and they came in and heard us one evening. They liked my voice and asked if I would audition for their band. I said I don’t speak English – at the time I was only speaking Portuguese – but they said that didn’t matter, they had heard me singing in English and that was fine. I auditioned, and I got in, and I became part of Ozila.”
The band were originally called The Malopoets, and had established a serious reputation on the local Afro-beat circuit before leaving for Switzerland. When some members came back to South Africa they called themselves Ozila, and Maria was happy to join.
“They had some great guys singing for them before me – Nana Coyote, and Eddie Adams. Eddie actually sang with me, and he taught me so much,” Maria said.
His next super group was the band Loading Zone, which featured the likes of guitarist Jimmy Dludlu, percussionist John Hassan and horn player Ivan Mazuze.
“Those were good times,” said Maria. The band toured the country and further afield, performing with stars like Papa Wemba and gaining a heavyweight reputation in jazz-funk circles.
“We also did covers, Al Jarreau, Simply Red, that sort of thing,” said Maria. “It’s a good learning curve, playing other people’s music.”
Since that period, Maria has performed as a solo artist and with a variety of musicians, and “keeps himself very busy”.
“I work from home, I do television music, jingles and voice-overs, these are the things that have kept me so busy all these years – studio work, being a radio and TV artist. My music is my life and work – I pay my rent from it, I survive from it.”
He divides his time between Cape Town and Maputo.
“I realised that I am a representative of Mozambique music. I am now one of the older musicians and I want to be a good role model. We need to have guys like me back home. I’m proud of having a Mozambican heart. Although I must admit, I miss Cape Town a lot when I am in Maputo.”
His latest project is to learn the piano. “It’s good to know how to play an instrument, especially if you compose, so you can show others what you mean. Even if it’s just a few chords – major sevenths or dominants – it all helps.”
Ultimately, it’s Maria’s voice that speaks for him, and it’s that special timbre that will be heard at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival.
l The festival runs from March 28 to 29. To book for individual days, call Computicket at 0861 915 8000.