The Centre for Creative Arts at UKZN, which regularly holds music evenings has some Jazzanian LP’s on sale.
We Have Waited Too Long was recorded in 1988 by The Jazzanians, a multi-racial South African jazz ensemble. Organized by Darius and Catherine Brubeck, the recording has been restored and remastered for release on April 12, 2024. In addition to the album, the Brubecks’ book Playing the Changes, about their years in South Africa is available, and a documentary film, Playing the Changes: Tracking Darius Brubeck will follow in the summer. The book and film describe a significant passage in South African history (1983 - 2006), and the transformative effect of jazz.
The Jazzanians were a unique band of exceptionally talented South African students, some of whom were already professional musicians,” explains Darius. “I launched the first university degree in Jazz at the University of Natal in 1984 and in 1988, the Jazzanians were the first multi-racial student jazz ensemble from South Africa to tour outside the country.
They were a huge hit and appeared on national NBC and CBS television in the USA. Following this success, it seemed natural that the band should record, and We Have Waited Too Long was the result. Re-releasing it in 2024 honours those Jazzanians no longer with us (Johnny Mekoa, Zim Ngqawana and Lulu Gontsana) and raises the South African Jazz flag. The recording is a jubilant expression of the creative interaction apartheid tried to stifle. Compositions by band members represent the quintessential sound of South African Jazz which is totally infectious.”
For more information contact zamat1@ukzn.ac.za
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