A musical journey

Thalefang Charles
Staff Writer | Friday April 12, 2013 00:00

 

The journey begins when the first line-up of artists is announced, normally a few months before the actual date of the festival. The line-up includes artists from all over the world, some you probably never heard of. That is when you really need YouTube and Google. You must dig deep into the artists' biographies and discographies. This is handy at the popular festival press conference to avoid asking embarrassing questions like wanting to know the lyrics inspiration of a strictly instrumental artist.

The festival is mostly patronised by a mature crowd and if you are young, you will be introduced to music that was created before you were born. Some artists come from non-English speaking countries and you have to listen to them too. The crop of artists that normally make it to the Cape Town Jazz festival are very talented, great performers and composers. Some are legends while some are new great kids on the block. You must listen to their music prior to the festival if you are not already a fan.

When joining the festival pilgrims to Africa's grandest gathering, as they affectionately call it, I recommend a road-trip. A road-trip to Cape Town is slow and fulfilling. Prepare the playlist according to the festival line-up, get your buddies and hit the road. The changing landscape as you dissect South Africa through the old gold mine fields, the old towns of the Boers who ran away from the British rule in the Cape, the vast emptiness of Great Karoo, the well manicured wine fields as you approach the Mother City makes the journey so rewarding. You will be excused to scream as you enter the Huguenot Tunnel, the gateway to Cape Town.

Unfortunately for me this year, my journey was quick because I flew there. But my host was aware that I was on a musical journey. Together with my entourage (comprising four other media personalities from radio and print media), I was taken to the house of one of Cape Town's sons of jazz music, Hilton Schilder. On the way to Schilder's house, our guide narrated the story of the barren land in the middle of Cape Town. This we hear is the once bustling District Six. The place where legendary pianist, The Dollar Brand (now Abdul Ibrahim) once lived. Our guide told us that some of the Malays that arrived with the ships from Asia were entertainers who provided their services on the long hard voyage to Cape of Good Hope, hence Cape Town has rich musical history.

At the house, the multi-instrumentalist welcomed us with Carling Black Label beer before the wife served us traditional Cape Town food. Schilder narrated his musical roots and the incredible cure of his cancer of the kidney.Schilder and Bein Petersen played live music for us using an array of instruments that occupy most of the space in his living room. 'Sometimes I wake up at three in the morning to come play when I get the inspiration,' said Schilder. This reveals how making music is disciplined work. He was born in a musical family and was given a drum when he was only three years old.From Schilder, we head to Mahogany Room for some pre-jazz festival acts.Mahogany Room is a pub of live jazz. We find another talented Cape Town duo, pianists Kyle Shepherd and Afrika Mkhize jazzing it up. It is a beautiful dress rehearsal for the main festival the following day. Day one of the Festival. Five stages. I start at the main Kippies Stage for a nostalgic reunion with Mafikizolo as they play their old hits and a few songs from their up-coming album. Then a dash to Moses Molelekwa stage where I meet another amazing songstress from Cape Town, Auriol Hays. She sings love songs with a haunting deep voice that sends chills down the spine. Errol Dyers was already on stage at Basil 'Manenberg' Coetze. I pass through Kippies again and catch Mafikizolo closing their set with their latest single titled 'Khona'. Few shots at Errol Dyers and I rush to the media centre to prepare for Kippies media booth which opens for only 15 minutes for photographers with strict orders not to use flash. The media centre offers snacks and drinks for much-needed energy. Then it is Orquestra Buena Vista Social Club from Cuba followed by South Africans Zonke at Kippies and Pu2ma at Manenburg. Louis Moholo presents Four Blokes and One Doll at the Rosies Stage. Rosies is for the serious jazz enthusiasts. Here you do not get sing-along requests from artists screaming: 'Can you feel? Wave your hands up'. No wonder South African Deputy President, Kgalema Motlanthe is in the audience.

At 1am when I looked at the programme, I realised that I had missed Mi Casa, Dubmarine, Brother Ali who were all playing at the youthful Bassline stage. But I have watched Afrika Mkhize, Brand New Heavies from UK and BWB (Norman Brown, Kirck Whalum & Rick Braun) and Steve Turre Quintet from United States of America.Second and final day. Thandiswa Mazwai steps on the Kippies stage, lights up the 'impepho' - herb that is used in the African culture to chase away evil spirits, nightmares and bad luck. She starts with songs from her debut album Zabalaza.I wait until she calls her young sister, Nomsa Mazwai on stage. With her 'Maybe I' song, Nomsa does not quite please the Kippies crowd as they demand big sister Thandiswa to get back on stage. After Thandiswa's set, I join the rest of the media as we wait for Jill Scott at the media centre. A chance to grab some snacks and a few drinks. Exactly 7:15pm Jill Scott steps onto the now packed Kippies stage. She is wonderful with the crowd as she performs a number of her popular hits. She introduces her songs with a short story spiced with unprintables in her narrations and drinking some Cherry looking drink in a wine glass. After Scott, I go back to laidback Rosies for Sonti. Before Sonti completes her set, I am already back at Kippies for Jimmy Dludlu. Dludlu is a wonderful musician who works the crowd like a rock star. He invites Judith Sephuma on stage and the crowd go mad as they get down to African jazz beats.  US neo-soul jazz pianist, Robert Glasper is moved to Manenburg swapping with Brazil's Ceu. I am torn between the two because I want Brazilian music for my next big trip there but Glasper is a great jazz pianist who won a Grammy last year for his Black Radio album. He has received raving reviews and he is not to be missed.

After finishing off with Gregory Porter (USA), Chiekh Lo from Senegal, Jack De Johnette, I headed to the  Khuli Chana & AKA performance at Bassline, just because they were the only act still on. The musical journey was not over yet, as we got word that there was  a VIP jam session at Cape Sun Hotel where all the artists were staying. We left at 6am fully content with the great musical tour in Cape Town.

*Thalefang Charles was a guest of South African Tourism