(Right: UKZN
Alumni Lukhetho Mthethwa)
Centre for Jazz and Popular Music and
iSupport Creative Business in proud association with Casio are once again
presenting three musicians as part of their 9th online concert taking place on June
3, 2020. This week's edition will feature all-female jazz band Heels over Head,
pianist Lukhetho Mthethwa and percussionist Ashish Joshi. All three artists
will present the audience with a 20-minute set.
Mthethwa brings jazz with African
and gospel influences. His music is a reflection of his journey, from his
childhood influences to his current influences, one can hear the sounds from
church to the African sounds and an influential jazz culture.
Raised in a township called Esikhawini; he
inherited the passion for music from his dad, who was a choirmaster at a
school. At the age of five, Mthethwa starting playing piano at his dad's church.
His playing grew when he starting playing for community groups around his
township and the school choir in his high school.
He studied music at the University of
KwaZulu-Natal and has played with and produced albums for many professional
musicians such as Ernie Smith, Swazi Dlamini, Tshepo Mngoma, Siphokazi,
Nokukhanya Dlamini, Judith Sephuma, Ntokozo Mbambo, Nqubeko Mbatha, Mthunzi
Namba, Jabu Hlongwane, Sibongile Khumalo and more. Currently, he is directing
music for Gospel Goes Classical that
features artists from all over the world, and he is the musical director for Gospel Time, a television show that
plays on SABC2 every Sunday. Mthethwa is the artistic director and producer of
the formidable gospel group Joyous Celebration.
(Left: Heels
over Head)
Heels over Head is an all-female
afro-jazz/pop band from Durban. The unique musical force was founded in 2008,
by vocalist Thulile Zama. Their music refers to smooth jazz or easy-breezy
pop-jazz and they developed an unusual and smart signature sound that consists
of current African-influenced music and uniquely re-arranged standards. The
band is known for making the audience get on their feet and dance to their
rhythmic bass lines and their cheerful melodies.
Over the years, the sound of the band has
grown tremendously in terms of dynamics, arrangements, compositions and
performance while still staying true to all their original fans. Heels over
Head has found their groove by creating a watertight sound that can be enjoyed
by all who experience their music.
Some of the career highlights of the band are
winning of the Yamaha Young Talent Award in 2010, launching their debut album Could It Be, that received a nomination
for a South African Music Award in 2011 and their performance at the New
Orleans Essence Festival.
(Right: Ashish
Joshi)
Ashish Joshi began his musical training
under the capable guidance of the much respected South African teacher Jeram
Bhana. He underwent four years of training in the classical form of the art of
percussion. At the same time, he continued to play at religious gatherings for
his spiritual group Rishi (Ramakrishna Institute of Spirituality and Hinduism).
When he was 17, he teamed up with Marc Duby, Greg Hadjiyorki Georgiades and
Priyesh Bhana to perform in the eastern world music project Avaaz.
Two years on, he formed the duo Strings and
Skins and released an album of the same name. This duo went on to perform
stunning concerts around southern Africa and did some remarkable collaborations
with rap-metal group Not My Dog, Tony Cox on his China album, as well as Madala
Kunene and the DJ remix product Krushed and Sorted. Ashish has also accompanied
various artists including Steve Newman, the late great bassist Gito Baloi, Neo
Munyanga, Rob Watson and Barry van Zyl to name a few during his 16 years of
performance. Ashish continued to dazzle audiences around southern Africa with
his ever-growing percussive expression on the tabla, djembe, darbuka and dhol.
2006 and 2007 are busy years for Ashish
featuring with Vivid Afrika who toured South Africa in 2006 and performed at
the Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2007. Ashish is playing and recording
with Greg Georgiades for their group Skins n' Skinz but also playing with
Madala Kunene Greg, Ernest Mothle and Bernard Mndaweni for DVD releases. In
November 2006 Ashish gathered a group of young classical Indian trained
musicians for a recording and filming of the project PRIVATE STASH.
The minimum charge to watch the concert is
R40 and tickets are available on Webtickets. The full contribution of the audience
will go straight to the artists to support and sustain South Africa's beloved
musicians through this testing time
Submissions
Musicians can submit a video that is
created especially for the concert, which is likely to be a solo performance or
minimal ensemble in this period of social distance. You can also submit
previously recorded videos that are not widely available on the internet, and
are part of your archive.
Tickets
Get your ticket on www.webtickets.co.za
where you can also get a monthly concert pass and donate. You will receive your
link before 18h00 and can watch at a convenient time.
Tickets R40 or more on donation – event
passes for a full month available
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