(Heels
Over Head drummer, Rebekah Doty. Pic by Simanga Zondo)
iSupport Music Business presents Heels over
Head in Ballito. The all-female jazz band will visit Sound Café on June 17,
2018, for a special Father’s Day Lunch and to raise funds for the North Coast
Courier Orphan Fund.
The North Coast Courier Orphan Fund was set
up with the purpose of channelling money raised to non-governmental
organisations that specialise in caring for orphans and vulnerable children
within the newspaper’s circulation area. A cause close to band member Thulile
Zama’s heart: “We frequently organise performances in orphanages and at
schools, but we decided it would be good to use our music to also make a
financial contribution. I went to school on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast and
it is important for me to give back to the community that raised me.” 40% of
the ticket sales will be donated to the Orphan Fund.
This concert is also part of a special Cape
Town – Durban collaboration tour that all-female jazz band Heels over Head will
present and as part of celebrating the band’s 10-year anniversary this year.
From winning the Yamaha Young Talent Award in 2010 to independently releasing
two music projects and being nominated for the SAMA Awards (2011) Best
Contemporary Jazz Album early on in their career as a band, Heels Over Head has
kept their footing firmly on the ground, with new compositions touring within
the South African borders and the Southern African region, connecting and
building a fan base. The hard work sometimes can go unnoticed, but sometimes
opportunities are made to present themselves through the band continuing to
persevere, soldiering on with the music. Recently they got an opportunity to go
to the USA in New Orleans for the 2017 Essence Music Festival. This has only
added to the enthusiasm that fuels their passion for music.
The band aims to empower women in this
industry and have a history of effectively doing this. Many members that played
in Heels over Head in the past now have successful solo careers. The members
individually are also all involved in motivation of young female musicians
through teaching and mentorships. “The girls”, as they are affectionately
known, were booked for their first performance in August 2008 when they entered
the music industry as young upcoming jazz band comprising music students from
the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Today, this is 10 years ago and the ladies
organised a collaboration tour to celebrate, the girls aim to celebrate their
10 year anniversary and want to, at the same time, keep offering stages for
young talents in jazz. This is why this tour is an exchange between female
musicians from Cape Town and Durban. Vocalist Zama and drummer Rebekah Doty
from Durban will be joined by Cape Town based Nobuhle Ashanti on keys, Tracey
Johannes on bass guitar and Arianna Carini on guitar.
For vocalist and founder Thulile Zama, one
of the highlights of their career is the fact they managed to stay together for
10 years, “there are not so many bands who have survived over the years,” she
says. “We have worked for many years to create opportunities for ourselves. It
has been a great experience, at times enriching and at times humbling and we
are planning to continue working on offering platforms for female musicians.”
Drummer Rebekah Doty adds: “We want to be
an example to other female musicians and show them that everything is possible.
We have performed for so many different audiences throughout the years. Still
being together after 10 years is a great motivation to keep the band going.”
This series of performances by Heels over
Head is supported by the Concerts SA Mobility Fund, a funding mechanism which
offers opportunities for South African musicians to undertake live music tours.
Concerts SA is a joint South African/Norwegian live music development project
housed within the SAMRO Foundation. Concerts SA receives financial,
administrative and technical support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, SAMRO, the SAMRO Foundation and Concerts Norway. Working with
musicians, promoters, venue owners and audiences, and providing support to the
sector through research and skills development for music professionals, the
project aims to build a vibrant and viable live music circuit in southern
Africa. It also aims to develop an
interest in and appreciation of live music by showcasing music performances and
conducting workshops at schools.
For more information please visit http://concertssa.co.za,
follow @ConcertsSA on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ConcertsSA or like on
Facebook at www.facebook.com/ConcertsSA.
Heels Over Head perform at 12h00 on June
17, 2018, at the Sound Café in Warne House, 5 Garlicke Drive, Ballitoville. Tickets
R70. Bookings on 032 492 0088 or email info@soundcafe.co.za
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