Top Cuban jazz musician, Roberto Fonseca, and local jazz icon Jimmy Dludlu, will be teaming up for two special Afro-Cuban concerts in Cape Town on Friday, 1 June and Saturday, 2 June.
Hosted by the City of Cape Town and Shado Twala of Black Olive Entertainment, and in support of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, the inaugural jazz fusion concerts will be held in the St George’s Cathedral on Friday and the Cape Town City Hall on Saturday. Both concerts start at 19:00.
Following these concerts, the musicians will present a workshop at the City Hall for young emerging jazz musicians from the Western Cape.
“These concerts will launch the ‘Sound Bites’ series of musical events aimed at raising funds for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, which is due to open in 2014 in Johannesburg. Part of the proceeds of the cathedral concert will go toward the church’s roof repair fund,” says Twala.
Fonseca will also be launching his new album, YO, that is dedicated to Africa, at the Cape Town concerts.
Jimmy Dludlu has been hailed as one of SA’s hottest jazz talents. His skills, not only as a guitarist, but also as an insightful composer and arranger, underline his music’s outstanding style. His latest album, Tonota, recently won this year’s South African Music Award for Jazz Album of the Year.
Fonseca has been described as, “the most charismatic Cuban musician of his generation.” His live shows have been captivating audiences world-wide for more than a decade. On his new album he explores new sounds and dimensions by blending traditional acoustic instruments with electronic elements.
South African painter Nico Phooko will join the musicians at both concerts to express his musical impressions on canvas. “One of his canvases will be donated to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital,” says Twala.
“The City of Cape Town is proud to be associated with these iconic jazz events that will further boost Cape Town’s reputation as the jazz capital of South Africa. It also confirms Cape Town’s commitment to be the events capital of our nation,” said Cllr Grant Pascoe, Mayoral Committee Member for Tourism, Events and Marketing.
“The acoustics in the City Hall and St Georges Cathedral lend themselves to truly exceptional musical experiences, and I am sure that the Sound Bites concert series will become a popular feature on Cape Town’s cultural calendar. More importantly, we are thrilled that both Fonseca and Dludlu have agreed to share their exceptional skills and talents at a workshop for aspiring young jazz musicians in the Western Cape in association with the Culture Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sports Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA),” added Councillor Pascoe.
Tickets cost R300 each and are available at www.webtickets.co.za, or at Webticket kiosks at Spar supermarkets across the country.
The Sound Bites Series is produced by Black Olive Entertainment, in support of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital and in association with Auric Auto BMW, Southern Sun’s Cullinan Hotel, the City of Cape Town, the Cuban Embassy, Original Boats and CATHSSETA.
