FINALLY, US R&B soul singer, Jill Scott, will perform a one-night only show at the Coca-Cola Dome in Joburg on Saturday.
“I am pretty excited to come to South Africa. It’s been a long time and I have never been in Joburg to perform but I find it to be one of the most stylish places that I have ever been to,” said the singer.
Scott was in the country last year to perform at the Cape Town Jazz Festival where she enjoyed the reception from her local fans.
“The last time I was there I was in Cape Town and found the audience really, really pay attention. I think it all has some-thing to do with the number of languages you guys speak. Everyone seems to make an effort and listen to the other. I felt like I was being observed and studied at moments. I really enjoyed it and when it was time to let go, they did all the way. I was really impressed.
“It’s like a good lover, where you take your turn and don’t expect all the good things at once. Rather, you expect a long, good night, and that’s what I got,” she explained.
Scott expects a good night out, but could not reveal what the show will sound like.
“It’s a new show every night and I never do the same show twice because I have several talented musicians with me. The spirit is always different in another place. However, I pray for good and hope for good.
“Any of my shows is a body of energy, it’s like waves, so I don’t expect anything, I just hope that everyone walks away feeling powerful and human,” she said.
She is hoping that her fans will go home with something from the messages that she disseminates through her music.
“This is music and art and it is supposed to do more than have you nod your head back and forth or shake your hips, but I would prefer to have people get inspired by the things I have to say,” said Scott.
R&B and neo-soul have been struggling in the past decade and Scott is one of the musicians who has been affected. She talked about change, but it had nothing to do with upping record sales.
“I can’t promise anyone that I am not going to change. I believe that change is inevitable. The purpose and goal of life is to grow and being stagnant in a place is dying. And I don’t want to do that, but I look myself in the mirror and want to be true to me. I realise that a lot of people don’t look upwards and may not get what I am saying.
“There are so many who are in a 9 to 5 job that they hate so much. I say to these people: get up and chase that one thing you are really interested in because this is the only one life we get.
“You don’t want to wake up one morning and discover that you have been holding it in for 20 years,” she said.
Scott has not only done well in music but has been into acting with successful projects like Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? and the The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, which was shot in Botswana.
“I have been acting for 20 years and a little more now. I am always looking for the right role and that takes time sometimes. Great roles are hard to come by. I’m also writing roles for others to act in,” she said.
After working on The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, Scott was on record as saying that she could hold a conversation in Tshwana.
“Oh no, that’s gone now. It’s been a long time and I don’t have anyone to practise with. I bought a little Tshwana For Dummies and all it does is leave me confused. I think I will try later when I get someone to talk with,” she said.
Scott will be supported by Lira.
WIN! WIN! WIN!
TEN tickets to the Jill Scott show at the Coca-Cola Dome on Saturday are up for grabs to lucky winners. To stand a chance to win, simply answer this question:
When next is Jill Scott performing in South Africa?
Send your answers via e-mail, with the subject “Jill Scott”, to [email protected] by close of business tomorrow. Please include your cell/telephone number.