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A mix of everything at jazz fest

Thursday April 09 2015
queens

The Mahottella Queens performing at the festival. PHOTO | COURTESY

The only constant in life is change, and this is true of jazz as well.

Though generally considered a genre of music, jazz is hard to define because of its many styles. Started in the US in late 19th and early 20th centuries as a fusion of African American music, it has evolved several times as it spread to the rest of the world.

Because jazz is about improvisation and change, passing it on to the next generation means it could become unrecognisable to older people. Some people say it shouldn’t even be considered a genre.

African American jazz began reaching South Africa in the early 20th century. Now Johannesburg and Cape Town hold annual jazz festivals with performers from all over the world.

This year, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival was held on March 27 and 28. With 20 performances each night, the artists were of all ages and backgrounds.

From the older generation included The Mahotella Queens celebrating their 50th anniversary, Hugh Masekela, now aged 76, who has been performing since 1956, and US jazz singer Al Jarreau, who at 75 years old is no longer his sprightly self.

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The Mahotella Queens group was formed in 1964 with 10 members. The current line-up of the Queens comprises Hilda Tloubatla, Nobesuthu Mbadu and Amanda Nkosi. The group is noted for their distinct vocal harmony sound, guitar-led mbaqanga music and fast-paced stage dancing.

Hilda was just 22 years old and Nobesuthu 19 at the time. The group is internationally recognised and has taken on a younger member Amanda, 29, who has been with them since 2013, for continuity.

Hilda’s advice to the younger generation is to stop looking at mbaqanga as music for the uneducated, and to keep the traditional beat going. Their performance at the festival was graced by South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma, who cut a birthday cake celebrating their 50 years in music.

Trumpeter, composer and vocalist, Hugh Masekela is one of Africa’s jazz giants. He started his career playing with the Jazz Epistles band in the 1950s. His performance on Saturday night was a tribute to the South African people. The hall was packed to capacity with fans who sang along to almost all his songs which included Stimela (Coal Train.)

Masekela says music has changed greatly because of technology. “Records have become obsolete and the industry is now run by lawyers and accountants and not by people who appreciate music. Anybody can make music; if they have access to technology they can put a video out.

“In my day, when I came back to South Africa, there were clubs where young people were able to hone their skills and grow a following.”

The current generation of performers were represented by TheCITY, Naima Mclean and Beatenberg, among others. Limiting their style to a genre is impossible, let alone calling them jazz performers.

TheCITY is a group of musicians who brought together their love of gospel, R&B, reggae and electro in 2010.

“Genres are outdated. I don’t think there’s such a thing anymore. It’s an old world perspective on how music works,” said pianist Clement Carr.

Other members of the group are Bonj Mpanza, Ryan McArthur and Ruby Crowie. 

“Although we’re at a jazz gig, we’re essentially a pop band. We play music that’s accessible to anyone,” he added.

Naima describes herself as a performer, a story teller who brings various genres like soul, spoken word, hip hop and pop to create her distinct style of urban soul.

At her performance, reflecting her style as a true storyteller, she combined spoken word with singing, to give a powerful show.
“Diversity is key to being an artist. You need to be able to move between the different spaces and express your creativity,” she said.
In touch with her roots, Naima, 30, says she was greatly influenced by her father, hard bop saxophonist Rene Mclean and her grandfather, jazz alto saxophomist Jackie Mclean. She lists Masekela and Miriam Makeba as some of her favourite artists.

Local boy band Beatenberg are described as the fresh new face in South African music. The members are songwriter Matthew Field, Ross Dorkin and Robin Brink.

Drawing their inspiration from jazz, classical and music from South America and all over Africa, Field says their beat “is about emotions, images and fleeting senses of things; the mad stuff that everyone feels and almost understands.”

They have played together since 2008. “We did not anticipate our success. It came as a total surprise,” said Field at a press conference before their performance.

Al Jarreau, active since the 1960s, closed the show on Saturday night with an inspiring performance. He warmed the hearts of the locals with his song Jacaranda Bougainvillea. The song is about a bougainvillea and jacaranda tree that he saw entwined and likened it to the unity of different races in South Africa. 

Although unsteady on his feet, his voice is as powerful as ever easily mimicking instruments and teaching the audience some Kiswahili by getting them to sing along to Nitakungojea Milele – I Will be Here for You.” 

His advice to the younger generation is to get totally involved in their music and never stop learning.

“Find the music instruments that are in your throat. I am now studying voice, because in the rush to do the music I didn’t learn how to properly use my voice. Find something you love and become good at it. It doesn’t have to be music. If you’re a journalist, make something new every day,” he said.

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