Tuesday, April 12, 2016

GONSALVES, RUNGAN & BAKER FOR JAZZ CENTRE



(Neil Gonsalves, Bruce Baker & Natalie Rungan)

Tonight (April 13) at 18h00, the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music at UKZN will present Neil Gonsalves, Natalie Rungan and Bruce Baker in concert.

These three phenomenal musicians who have worked together for a number of years on various projects, have decided to combine their knowledge of music and jazz in an unpredictable, malleable format. The concept is one that needs to be experienced rather than explained.

Neil Gonsalves is a highly creative artist whose performance credits include various national music festivals with numerous South African jazz and Afro-beat luminaries as well as his own band, Tonk. He has extensive international touring experience after a four-year stint as part of Johnny Clegg’s band and is presently the head of the Jazz Studies programme at UKZN. His most recent project has been with Flamenco guitarist Demi Fernandez on their duo album called Latinfluence which they toured recently in Maputo.

Natalie Rungan who hails from Jazz, R n B & Gospel traditions, is a singer/songwriter who never stops reinventing herself, always pushing the boundaries in an attempt to create new sounds and ideas. With four albums under her belt, the sultry, industrious singer has worked on both national and international platforms with some of the countries best artists including PJ Powers, Zahara, Danny K, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Sibongile Khumalo, Ernie Smith and Abigail Kubeka. She has also performed with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra on numerous occasions, including performances with Loyiso Bala, Toya Delazy and Melanie Lowe and Ard Matthews.

Bruce Baker completes this dynamic trio. One of the most versatile drummers in the country, having worked with numerous artists in the jazz field including Winston Mankuku, Darius Brubeck, Melanie Scholtz, Melvin Peters, Dr Mike Rossi, Concord Nkabinde, Feya Faku, Monette Sudler (USA), Dr Willie Hill and Ron McCurdy (USA), as well as the Cape Town Jazz Orchestra. Baker's’s earliest successes include his 10 years with Landscape Prayers and Squeal. Over the years he has had intense studies on rhythm and Cajon with USA percussionist Efrain Toro that has expanded into using percussion in Natalie’s concerts.

Join Neil Gonsalves, Natalie Rungan, and Bruce Baker tonight (April 13) at 18h00 at The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music (CJPM), Level 2, Shepstone Building at UKZN Howard College Campus.

Doors open at 17h30 with the show starting at 18h00. General admission R60 (R40 pensioners, R20 students). For more details contact Thuli on 031 260 3385 or email Zamat1@ukzn.ac.za