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| Musa Manzini & Vusi Mahlasela head down south by Tumi Peter - Southern Pulse Booking Agency An accomplished guitarist, percussionist, composer, arranger, band leader and performer, is to perform at Africa's grandest gathering! - Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2010. 'The Voice' as he is affectionately known in his home country has bridged generations at home and abroad. Vusi Mahlasela spent the past three years touring heavily world-wide and spreading his message and yet he remained true to his roots. Having released a string of albums in South Africa - and after world-wide touring and international acclaim - it wasn't until the 2003 début of the documentary film Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony, a film that charts South Africans' long time struggle for racial equality that Americans first glimpsed and heard Mahlasela. In a rave Los Angeles Times review, noted critic Robert Hilburn wrote: "Vusi Mahlasela's voice is so pure and commanding; you wonder whether you should have gotten an entire album by him." After the release of the film, long-time admirer and fellow South African, Dave Matthews, signed Vusi to his own ATO Records label and released The Voice (2003) - a collection of the best songs from Vusi's catalogue. On the other hand, one of South Africa's talented jazz bass players Musa Manzini will be doing a come-back to the CTIJF 2010 after slapping, popping and strumming his bass at the same gig (called North Sea Jazz Festival then) in 2001. The Jazz/Afro-Funk and deep bass grooves player was hampered by a brain tumour, but instead of an obstruction, he saw it as a stepping stone, and today he is still creating music, composing, producing and playing his beloved bass. write your comments about the article :: © 2010 Jazz News :: home page |