{"id":20018,"date":"2013-05-28T20:58:31","date_gmt":"2013-05-28T18:58:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/afro-jazz-toasts-south-african-history-at-jazz-fest\/"},"modified":"2013-05-28T20:58:31","modified_gmt":"2013-05-28T18:58:31","slug":"afro-jazz-toasts-south-african-history-at-jazz-fest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/afro-jazz-toasts-south-african-history-at-jazz-fest\/","title":{"rendered":"Afro-Jazz toasts South African history at Jazz Fest"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Standard Bank Jazz Festival, Grahamstown 2013 incorporates a variety of disciplines into its programme. Afro-Jazz is one of the genres that will be highlighted at the festival this year, though it is just one part of the formidable line-up which includes Mainstream, Blues\/Funk\/World Music, Modern Jazz, Youth and the Standard Bank Jazz and Blues Caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n

With a significant career in South African jazz that has spanned over 40 years, it would be difficult to find a more accomplished and versatile jazz musician than trombonist Jonas Gwangwa. He first gained popularity playing with South Africa\u2019s iconic group, The Jazz Epistles and after exile in the US he began to gain recognition, performing in venues such as Carnegie Hall alongside the likes of Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela and Letta Mbulu. He composed the scores of films like Cry Freedom and appeared at the 60th Annual Academy Awards. Believing that \u201cpolitics and culture cannot be separated,\u201d Gwangwa\u2019s total commitment to the struggle to end apartheid is intrinsic to his music. He headlines the Afro-Jazz portion of the programme with Percy Mbonani (sax), Mzamo Bhengu (trumpet), Sabelo Mtshali (keyboard), Kenny Mathaba (guitar), Bongani Ncube (bass), Godfrey Mngcina (drums), Keitu Gwangwa (vocal), Thobekile Masinga (vocal), and Nicolette Shange (vocal).<\/p>\n

Gloria Bosman \u2013 a former Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner \u2013 is a household name in South Africa, acclaimed for her sonorous voice and authentic stage presence. After she was awarded a scholarship to study opera at Pretoria Technikon, she toured France with Jonas Gwangwa and subsequently sang for both presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki. Her debut album Tranquilitywon the SAMA \u201cBest Newcomer\u201d award and she has sung with the cream of South African musicians for over a decade. Bosman performs in Grahamstown supported by Ezra Erasmus (keyboards), Themba Peebles Mambane (piano), Sakhile Thembalethu Nkosi (bass) and Julius Bernice Boikano (drums).<\/p>\n

The backbone of the Jazz repertoire is a collection of standards \u2013 tunes all jazz musicians know well. So it is with the South African jazz repertoire; we share an intimate connection with a certain set of songs that have defined our musical identity. Led by Umlazi trumpeter Brian Thusi \u2013 who cut his teeth in the African Jazz Pioneers \u2013 this band brings together a drummer from the Eastern Cape(Ayanda Sikade), pianist and bass from the Western Cape (Kyle Shepherd and Wesley Rustin), and a saxophonist from Australia who grew up in 1970s Cape Town (Mark Ginsberg), to share their personal inflections on South African classics we all know and love.<\/p>\n

As one of South Africa\u2019s natural bebop exponents, Barney Rachabane has forged an impressive solo career after cementing his international reputation with Paul Simon\u2019s Graceland project in the 1980s. His unique style combines bebop and blues, threaded through always with the inflections of the kwela of his Soweto youth. He brings together a sextet which is particularly special \u2013 including his daughter, Octavia, on vocals and grandson, Oscar, on tenor sax. They are joined by Mohau Kekana (piano), Solly Mokolobate (bass), and Bacco Xaba (drums).<\/p>\n

Guitarist Menyatso Mathole\u2019s performance credits are a history of South African jazz \u2013 collaborations with Zakes Nkosi, Dick Khoza, Winston Mankunku, Dudu Pukwana, Bheki Mseleku, Miriam Makeba, Basil Manenburg Coetzee and many others. He was a co-founder \u2013 with Sipho Gumede and Khaya Mahlangu \u2013 of the seminal Afro-Jazz band Sakhile that faced the difficulties of the apartheid years and its limited air-play for black Africans and reinforced the music of South Africa\u2019s exiled artists. Mathole has continued this vision in his solo career, teaching in community colleges and keeping the tradition alive, especially in far-flung places like Thaba Nchu and the North West. He brings this history to life in Grahamstown, with Jimmy Mngwandi (bass) and Ayanda Sikade (drums).<\/p>\n

This year will also see the establishment of the Standard Bank Jazz Blues Cafe at the Lowlander, St. Andrew\u2019s College, which will end each night with a great jazz show and a late night jazz jam session or blues gig \u2013 a place where audiences can catch musicians letting off steam and butting musical heads late into the night, featuring the likes of Nduduzo Makhathini, saxophonist Dan Shout, Lee Thomson, Imbaula, and the Rick van Heerden Quartet.
\nThe 39th edition of the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown will take place from 27 June to 7 July 2013.
\nFor more information check www.standardbankarts.co.za or www.youthjazz.co.za<\/p>\n

The Standard Bank Jazz Festival is presented with support funding from:
\nInstitut Fran\u00e7ais, the French Institute of South Africa and the Alliance Fran\u00e7aise
\nPaul Bothner Music
\nProHelvetia
\nRoyal Netherlands Embassy
\nRoyal Norwegian Embassy
\nSAMRO
\nSwedish Arts Council \/ Swedish Jazz Federation \/ Mary Lou Meese Youth Jazz Fund
\nJamey Aebersold Jazz
\nThe National Arts Festival is sponsored by Standard Bank, The National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, Eastern Cape Government, Department of Arts and Culture, National Arts Council, City Press and M Net.<\/p>\n

URL<\/strong>: http:\/\/www.nationalartsfestival.co.za\/\/\/<\/a>
Twitter<\/strong>:
Facebook<\/strong>:
YouTube<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

Author: Fiona Gordon<\/strong> from The Famous Idea<\/a>. Originally distributed by MyPR.co.za<\/a>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

No of Images Uploaded: One<\/strong><\/p>\n

To gain access to One<\/em> image\/s please Like, Tweet or +1 this article:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Images:<\/strong>
\"Jonas-Gwangwa_small\"
\nJonas Gwangwa Photographer: National Arts Festival<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Standard Bank Jazz Festival, Grahamstown 2013 incorporates a variety of disciplines into its programme. Afro-Jazz is one of the genres that will be highlighted at the festival this year, though it is just one part of the formidable line-up which includes Mainstream, Blues\/Funk\/World Music, Modern Jazz, Youth and the Standard Bank Jazz and Blues […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[3257,1452],"class_list":{"0":"post-20018","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-south-africa","7":"tag-mypr","8":"tag-public-relations","9":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20018"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20018\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}