Exciting performance collaboration launched during Poetry Africa Festival
University of KwaZulu Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts and Centre for Jazz and Popular Music, in collaboration with iSupport Creative Business and supported by Concerts SA are launching a first of a series of collaborative performances to take place monthly. This first collaboration, between Albert Trio and poet Thando Fuze, will be streamed on Facebook during the Poetry Africa Festival on October 14 at 15h00.
Albert Chemane, the leader of the Albert Trio, is an Applied Ethnomusicologist, drummer, percussionist and educator, born and raised in Maputo, Mozambique. At an early age, he developed a passion and interest in dance-drumming traditions from Mozambique, later becoming an active performer and advocate for the arts.
Chemane has worked with various projects such as the UKZN Big Band, Khulekani band, Beat-Route, Salim Washington band, Tropic-Jazz and The Meditators. He co-founded ‘KeOchestra – The Nameless Jazz’ that participated at the MTN Jazz Festival, as well as Manteca Salsa and Afro-Caribbean Band, AfroGong, Somazi and MoSAGh. Also, he founded Maputaland and ‘Albert Chemane and the African Way’ bands. These projects allowed him to collaborate with a vast array of musicians within a cross-cultural mix of artistic sensibilities to interpret existing and co-create new materials. Chemane is performing with Milton Chissano on guitar and Zoe The Seed on vocals.
Thando Fuze is a Durban-based contemporary spoken word artist, writer, founder of SHEfted MInds, arts events coordinator and director at FuzeArtCo. Groomed under the guidance and mentorship of Dr Gcina Mhlophe, Fuze is one of a few prominent voices in Durban who continually redefines themselves, the state of poetry and the perceptions of others through her creative works.
“The poem I am performing as part of this collaboration speaks about what is happening in SA relating to Gender-Based Violence. It speaks to how it makes women feel and the importance of protecting women. I hope this could be an ongoing collaboration” says Fuze.
Fuze has shared the stage with the likes of the legendary Baba Madala Kunene, her mentor Dr Gcina Mhlophe, Lebo Mashile, Luka Lesson from Australia and other greats such as Kat François from the UK. Over the years, she has not only built herself as a brand, but has also helped create platforms for other upcoming artists. She has worked with Luthando Productions which hosted monthly poetry readings at the Bat Centre in 2011/2012. She has also worked with Burnt Bridges, who also hosted poetry readings and music offerings in 2014. Currently, Fuze is part of a team of poets working alongside Mxolisi Mtshali in putting together the biggest bi-monthly poetry show in the country, Poet In A Suit.
This programme is part of a unique joint curation between the Centre Creative Arts and Centre for Jazz & Popular Music, both existing at the UKZN. The collaboration sees monthly programmes produced together with iSupport Music Business and supported by Concerts SA.
The parties involved are garnering for the same goal of showcasing the vast pool of talent that Durban has as well as using the great spaces available in the city in unconventional ways.
Concerts SA is a joint South African/Norwegian live music development project housed under the auspices of SAMRO and managed by IKS Cultural Consulting. Concerts SA receives financial, administrative and technical support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, SAMRO and the SAMRO Foundation. 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.
Watch the performance at www.facebook.com/poetryafrica
For more information, visit website http://concertssa.co.za, follow @ConcertsSA on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ConcertsSA or Like on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ConcertsSA.
Posts
