By Lerato Mbangeni
PEOPLE preparing to head to Grahamstown for the National Arts Festival have a special treat in store for them.
Jazz innovators from 12 countries will be lighting up the stage at this year’s Standard Bank Jazz Festival, which runs in Grahamstown as part of the NAF.
From June 30 to July 9, local legends will be joined by award-winning, internationally renowned jazz musicians.
The star-studded list include Grammy Award winners Trio Corrente from Brazil; Norwegian saxophonist Petter Wettre; Austrian singer, composer and trumpeter Michaela Rabitsch; and guitarist Robert Pawlick.
They will be joined by Caiphus Semenya, Simphiwe Dana, the Afrika Mkhize Big Band, Swing City and Ringo Madlingozi.
Jazz pianist Afrika Mkhize will be honouring the late jazz legend Bheki Mseleku with a powerful big-band tribute that reflects a national and international pot-pourri of jazz talent.
Mkhize said: “Bheki has never been properly honoured before in his own country and we are excited to be doing a big-band concert in tribute to his work and legacy. New names and talented young finds will be featured in the band, and the concert promises to be a musical highlight.”
The line-up includes saxophonist Dave O’Higgins from the UK, American trumpeter Eddie Lewis and Swiss trombonist Andreas Tschopp, along with South African musicians, among them Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz 2016 Siya Makuzeni on vocals.
Standard Bank head of group sponsorships Hazel Chimhandamba is thrilled with the line-up. “We are delighted with the 2016 line-up, which features more than 100 top musicians.
We are delighted that the festival continues to draw jazz lovers from around the country as well as being a tool to grow young jazz musicians in South Africa.”
South African bassist and composer Carlo Mombelli joins Tschopp in a band that includes two other Swiss musicians, Florian Egli (sax) and Florian Favre (piano), and South Africa’s Sphelelo Mazibuko on drums.
Mombelli said: “What makes the festival so special is that we get to play with musicians from all over the world. “
We all share our ideas and concepts, and because of that we can build relationships that continue after the festival.”
The Star