|
contents | jazz | |||||||||||||
| Limpopo Jazz Festival With the festive season set to move into full swing in just a few weeks, anticipation is mounting around Limpopo's Mapungubwe Jazz Festival which is unquestionably on the fast-track to become the most exceptional music gathering of 2005 in South Africa. Taking place in Polokwane on 17 December, the festival turns the spotlight on some of the world's most high-profile and critically acclaimed yet also hugely popular artists, all of whom have a substantial following in the country, as well as several exciting newcomers including a group featuring a provincial MEC! Jetting in from America especially for the Mapungubwe Jazz Festival is saxophonist, Kirk Whalum whose several performances in South Africa in recent years have confirmed his huge popularity amongst a broad spectrum of music fans. Since he released his debut album, Floppy Disk in 1985, Whalum has used his musical, songwriting and production gifts to set the standard in music that brings together gospel, R&B, blues, and jazz. He's worked with some of the biggest names in the business - it was Whalum's sax solo that featured on Whitney Houston's hit song "I Will Always Love You, " on the soundtrack for The Bodyguard - but it's Whalum's solo work, through albums like For You (which spent nearly two years on top of the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart), Gospel According to Jazz, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2, Unconditional and, most recently, Kirk Whalum Performs The Babyface Songbook that have earned him Grammy Nominations, awards and wide acclaim. Whalum, who says he's totally "thrilled" to be visiting South Africa, again, has promised a show packed with hits and plenty of surprises. "We will perform selections from my most recent album, Kirk Whalum Performs The Babyface Songbook, as well as from For You, The Gospel According To Jazz, Unconditional and more, " the superstar has revealed. Just as powerful will be performances by a slew of South African jazz luminaries, offering music fans the rare chance to see a host of internationally renowned music icons at one event. The artists appearing at the festival all provide a real link between the past and the present, much like the Mapungubwe area the event is named after - one of five areas in South Africa declared a World Heritage site by Unesco. Adbullah Ibrahim is a pianist and composer who is widely acknowledged as one of the world's best jazz musicians with a distinctive style that incorporates South African sounds, vocal and harmonic traditions with all the rhythmic feeling and improvisation of jazz. Seeing Ibrahim perform is a singular and affecting experience and his live work has always been as important as his many award-winning recordings. Another internationally famous artist taking to the stage at the Mapungubwe Jazz Festival is Hugh Masekela whose recent albums, among them Revival, Time, Sixy and Almost Like Being In Jazz (released internationally) have earned platinum-plus sales and revealed an artist still in his prime. Husband-and-wife, Caiphus Semenya and Letta Mbuli are another jazz coupling that provide a real link between the past and future, having both played a key role in the unfolding of South Africa's music in the 1950s and 1960s. Caiphus and Letta have just released a recording of their live show at Carnival City this year, titled Music In The Air. Jonas Gwangwa is a composer, songwriter and musician from Soweto, who has also played a key role in the evolution of South African jazz. He was a member of the legendary Jazz Epistles with Ibrahim (then, known as Dollar Brand) and has enjoyed a stellar career that has included many album releases as well as the composition of film and television scores for the likes of Cry Freedom which have earned him Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe nominations. 76 3rd Avenue, released in 2004, confirmed the African Jazz Pioneers' status as a vital part of the music scene, in spite of the death of band leader, Bra Ntemi Piliso. Their performance at the festival is likely to be one of the highlights as is that of legendary jazz singer, Abigail Khubeka whose voice still remains as beautiful as it was during the 1950s and 60s. Performing alongside South Africa's jazz icons is a breathtaking line-up of artists, among them Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse whose "Burnout" is a modern-day township pop masterpiece and who continues to record and perform. He is joined by Selaelo Selota, Umanji, and Jeff Maluleke who all return home to the area where they grew up to take part in the festival, providing a link with the Limpopo-based artists, Malebo, Geoff Mapaya and Movement. The latter group features Limpopo Province's MEC of Economic Affairs, Colins Chabane, who is all primed to demonstrate his substantial musical ability. With a line-up like this, there is every reason to be at the Mapungubwe Jazz Festival taking place at the Polokwane Cricket Stadium on December 17th. The jazz festival forms part of the Mapungubwe Arts Festival (which runs from December 9th to 17th), the combination making for an unmissable festive season outing. write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Jazz News :: home page |