From Monday to Wednesday, September 23 to
25, 2019, the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music presents a Jazz & Heritage
festival, featuring amazing young KZN talent to celebrate Heritage Month in
music.
The three-day celebration kicks off with a Tribute to Mama Africa on September 23,
a fundraiser in collaboration with the Manning
Road Methodist Church (MRMC), situated on the corner of Che Guevara and
Lena Arendse Road. Miriam Makeba’s career influenced Thulile Zama and her band members
to such extent that they found it fitting to do a tribute in honour of Mama
Africa. Thuli and her band have chosen songs from different eras of her
illustrious career including favourites like Pata Pata and Click song,
but also the ballads like Promise and
the heart-wrenching offerings that she penned when she was in exile are
included in their set. Mama Makeba was hugely influential throughout the
continent, both musically and politically. The aim of this concert is to build
further connections between MRMC and the community and to fundraise so that the
church can continue to support their community work, such as environmental
care, care for street dwellers as well as bringing awareness to the realities
of gender-based violence.
Heritage Day features Jazz & Heritage
lunch concert. Patrons are welcome to join the organisation for lunch and
prices are listed below. All proceeds accrue to the Ronnie Madonsela
Scholarship. The concert has a decidedly youthful look of and features young
jazz talent from surrounding schools as well as student ensembles from the UKZN
Jazz programme. The UKZN Big Band will headline the bill and promises a good
dose of Township jazz arranged by legendary saxophonist, Khaya Mahlangu as well
as tunes by iconic pianist and composer, Bheki Mseleku. The concert is the
first in a series of planned events in preparation for International Jazz Day,
2020. The city of Cape Town will host the global concert on April 30, and will
feature the Who’s Who of International and local Jazz superstars. In the two
weeks leading up to this event, some of the most prominent jazz musicians and
educators from across the globe will visit jazz programs across the country to
support and help nurture the immense jazz talent that resides in South Africa.
On September 25, audiences can enjoy a
special concert by Sankofa band, led by composer and multi-reedsman, Prof Salim
Washington. The band will give a preview to what they are presenting at the
prestigious Joy of Jazz Festival. One can expect a fabulous concert formulated
by Durban’s most prestigious jazz musicians. For this special ensemble,
Professor Washington has brought together musicians whom he feels share his
sentiments about music and life. They are Sanele Phakathi on piano, Dalisu Ndlazi
on bass guitar, Bucco Xaba on drums, Zoe The Seed on vocals and Phuti Mofokeng
on trumpet.
Event listing – all concerts take place at
the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard
College, Level 2, Denis Shepstone Building.
September 23: Tribute to Mama Africa. Fundraiser
for the Methodist Road Methodist Church. Doors open at 17h00, the music starts
at 18h00. Tickets R100 (R80 pensioners, R50 students). Contact Nathi Fono: office@mrmc.co.za
September 24: Jazz & Heritage Concert.
13h00 to 16h00. Concert only: General admission R80 (R50 pensioners, R25 students).
Lunch: vegetable breyani R50; Chicken breyani: R70 – must be booked by
September 12 from Thulile Zama at Zamat1@ukzn.ac.za
September 25: SANKOFA Band. Doors open at 17h30,
the music starts at 18h00. Adults R80 (R50 pensioners, R25 students)
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