Gugulethu Jazz Festival

Guguletu’s Sports Complex came alive today with both musical and sports celebrations as part of honouring Human Rights Day in South Africa, 21 March.  It wasn’t just local communities who performed with their bands – visiting and international musicians turned up as well, all hyped up to see and hear each others’  youth jazz and pop bands.  Sponsored by the Amy Biehl Foundation each year, to respect the reconciliation process going on between communities divided and angered by their social and economic situations, youth are brought together to witness each other’s creative growth and talents, primarily in music, dance, and drama.

And did this Sports venue rock!  Various ensembles of the Amy Biehl Foundation music projects demonstrated their instrumental and vocal , ranging from the brass band to the marimbas and saxophones.  Primary school dancers with painted faces entertained with skillful twists and twirls. And several music professors from USA cast their ‘thumbs up’ at the delightful soulful performances.  Popular Gugs jazz singer, Sandile Gontsana,  scatted his way with bassist Benjamin Jafta’s  “Tribes of Benjamin” with lots of swing and original tunes.

Then came on stage a jazz orchestra from the Milton Academy in Massachusetts, USA, under the direction of Bob Sinicrope,  who is also a Board member of the Jazz Education Network, based in USA. His troupe surprised Guguletans with Cape and South African jazz pieces of Abdullah Ibrahim and the late great Winston Mankunku.  These teenagers seemed a bit timid and shy, but I would too if playing my host community’s songs in front of local maestros!!  In the audience was sitting the 40-strong CAFCA members (Committed Artists for Community Advancement) from Mamelodi, young musicians learning the art of jazz, who performed recently at the SAJE mini jazz festival (South African Association for Jazz Education) at the UCT School of Music. Pity there wasn’t time to include their mbaqanga jazz in this multi-cultural gathering.

Linda Biehl, mother of the slain Amy Biehl,  and co-founder of the Foundation with her now late husband, received gifts brought from the Milton Academy as the latter traditionally do when they travel to less resourced hosts. Gifts included instructional materials and CDs. The Foundation also receives musical instruments from time to time

What impressions did the American musicians have of these festivities?  I didn’t have an opportunity to find out. But John Baboian from the famed jazz college, Berkelee School of Music, here in Cape Town to audition South African young artists for scholarships to the School, has plenty of challenge when he and his committee listen to the wizard talents of young musos and try to choose who will win!

Well done, Gugs!

SAJE mini jazz festival

Some more youth-filled surprises occurred on Friday night and Saturday daytime (March 18-19)as the South African Association for Jazz Education (SAJE) held it’s annual ‘mini’ jazz festival at UCT’s College of Music. International artists joined in the festivities as Dutch pianist Mike del Ferro  tinkled the keys with young up-and-coming musicians, professors of music, and students. Ulrich Suesse, a retired German professor from Stuttgart, but now with the University of KZN, featured his electronic music compositions. A highlight for me was visiting jazz bassist and composer, Carlo Mombelli, from JBG who offered extraordinary versions and visions of improvisation using nature’s sounds and the bells and whistles of found objects in our environment, and how to use the ‘loop’ to set up backings and rhythms for one’s compositions.

Friday night’s concert at C7 recital room of the SACM included a host of well-known, and lesser known, musicians:   Singer Sandile Gontsana, a bubbly scatter from Gugulethu with lots of exposure and collaboration with international groups; Trumpeter and flugelhornist Darren English and his band, Avianna, played pieces that combined jazz, folk, and gospel harmonies; SAJE President and woodwind specialist, Professor Mike Rossi, performed with a variety of artists who emerged again the next day, Saturday, to offer workshops and performances.

The highlight of Saturday’s day performances was hearing the very capable CAFCA group (Committed Artists for Cultural Advancement) of students from their music school in Mamelodi. Firstly, an all female ensemble calling themselves ‘The Roses’, with three strings (including double bass – yes, a female!) and trumpet, with one male colleague on drums, strutted their stuff in a few jazzy pieces before joining the larger 22-piece orchestra led by Director and bassist, Jesse Mohale, who was also supported by his brother, Moses, and several other teachers.  Their 40-person group who bussed themselves down from Pretoria provided an  impressive commitment unmatched by the pathetic lack of participation by local students and music teachers, for whom such a jazz educators’  festival is designed !  Other bands performed, such as Dan Shout’s with a new array of musos, one being a female double bassist from Port Elizabeth and now settling in Cape Town.  Interesting that this day featured two WOMEN double bassists, a rare scene in the jazz world in Cape Town at least!  The CAFCA big band blew everyone away with their precision and again, commitment!  Another band from CAFCA was the ‘Odd meter Ensemble’ led by 16-year old Takalane Maraba on trumpet and flugel horn.  CAFCA recruits black youth  with little music experience, and offers instruction three times a week for residents of Mamelodi.  Female students make up about 50% of the total student body.

All in One - a music review

Another rich sonorous evening spent a few weeks ago at Cape Town’s avant-guard  Fugard Theater was the All in One concert of maestros, Steve Newman with his four guitars; Errol Dyers playing his usual Capey guitar but also harmonica, traditional bow, and flute (!);  and multi-instrumentalist Hilton Schilder on piano, bow, and mouth piano. Poly-rhythms emanated from this eclectic trio: songs from Mozambique, South Africa, Caribbean, West Africa, Malay, Argentina, and Ghoema.  There was the delightful tango played on the mouth piano; Ghoema traditional; a Canary Island ballad; a Newman Tananas special including tribute to the late fellow guitarist Gito Baloi; an Errol guitar solo; a Ghoema ode to Pollsmor prisoners; a Hilton piano solo;  a trans Karoo Express song with Errol on harmonica, Newman’s four guitars, and Hilton’s vocals as bass with box percussion and shakers. Cultural history of the Cape featured highly this evening – with ‘Abolished Act’ – and ode to the purchase and killing of KhoiSan who hid away.  Another bow song followed about the violence around the mountain we don’t hear.  Lastly, the “Back Yard Strummers” with all three performers  humming their guitars in a gleeful crescendo for the evening!