BENG BENG BENG – Femi Kuti here on Fri!
*UPDATE: BengBengBeng – don’t miss Femi Kuti guys – it’s this Friday start planning now. We are finding out the concert schedules/times for you and will let you know shortly. * Time for some good news! We have been waiting a long time to see one of Africa’s most incredible performers in SA. Get ready for an energetic, sexy, move your bones performance from the inimitable Nigerian SupaFunkArtist Femi Kuti, son of the legendary Fela Kuti right here on Southern African soil. There’s no excuse not to be there ‘coz it’s a FREE concert in one of Jozi’s coolest places, Mary Fitgerald Square in Newtown, all in celebration of AFRICA day – damn it feels good to be African today. Lets ALL go downtown. Support the city, the country and the continent! If you don’t know Femi, buy his music now. So put Friday night the 25 May in your diaries now and REPRESENT with more brilliant music from Ringo, the mysterious SAMA winner Lesego, Louis Mhlanga and others on the night… It just gets better on Saturday the 26th May with another free concert in Jukskei Park in Alex featuring Kwaito’s flavour of the moment (We heart LVD) L’VoVo Derango, the soulful Siphokazi and the ever popular Flabba then if you still ain’t partied out, head on over to Mofolo Park SOWETO on Sunday the 27th May for more Femi and our best girl Lira and our main man HHP, hopefully with his full band. SHO! It’s seriously jam-packed. Here are the details: The weekend-long Africa Day celebrations are about to commence, and preparations are at an advanced stage for the various events that will take place on the weekend of May 25th. This years Africa Day activities, hosted by the City of Joburg, the French Institute, Arts Alive, the Lotto and SABC will take place as three free events throughout different areas of Joburg, namely Newtown, Alexandra and Soweto. The festivities kick off on May 25th, with a concert at the Mary Fitzgerald Square, featuring Nigerian afro-beat star Femi Kuti, South Africa’s Ringo, Lesego, Corlea and Louis Mhlanga, Zambian vocalist Lindiwe, Ugandan Kinobe as well as the Vuvuzela Orchestra. The concert, which is free to members of the public will be televised on SABC2 and SABC Africa from 22h00 – 00h00 on Friday, 25th May. The next day, May 26th, the move is in Alexandra’s Jukskei Park, where a fashion show with a difference will take place along the banks of the Jukskei River, followed by performances by Flabba, L’vovo Derango and Siphokazi, all open to the public at no charge. The final part of the Afro-centric celebrations takes place at Soweto’s Mofolo Park, where Femi...
UB40 coming on down again!
Do you remember when UB40 performed in Zimbabwe in the 80’s because they couldn’t play in SA and one of the biggest roadtrips in SA concert history happened? Or the UB40 concert in Durban in the 90’s where a fabulous combination of tossed away Durban Poison seeds and post-concert rain resulted in an iridescent green dagga crop taking over the field in Kings Park stadium? Urband leg? I remember sitting playing a scratchy UB40 record on my folks record player listening again and again to revolutionary lyrics like “We fight for our right to be free, we build our own society. (sing our own song lyrics)” . KING (listen) has to be one of my favourite UB40 songs, emotive and powerful. UB40 represents a very specific era and time in my life and evokes rich memories of being young, confident, feisty and full of fight. (Some would say I am just full of other stuff now 🙂 ) The multi-cultural faces of the band seemed exotic and unfathomable for us, at the time, how were they able to do it when South Africans couldn’t even have friends of different races over for supper? Resonating? For hours I stared at their pictures on the covers and watched their borrowed videos taped by a friend from Holland on vhs, mesmerized by their beats… their lyrics were some of the first revolutionary seeds that planted dreams of democracy and equality in my mind, giving me hope that one day our country would change. Heavy I know and I’m showing my age – but it just takes one name or place to trigger the intricate past and today it’s UB40. ‘Nuff Respect Rastas. Thanks for your inspiration and hope. MOVING ON – our TGIT news today is that the legendary UK reggae and dub band will be visiting us again in July. We’ll be there, remembering a time we’d rather forget, but thanking them for showing us the way and giving us hope during a dark and dismal time for those of us who knew that something was very very wrong. 94.7 Highveld Stereo, 94.5 Kfm, East Coast Radio and BIG Concerts are delighted to announce the upcoming tour of one of the world’s most popular bands. Legendary Reggae Ambassadors UB40 will be returning to South Africa this year, for shows in Durban on the 4th, Johannesburg on the 6th and Cape Town on the 10th of July 2007. UB40’s illustrious career, spanning over 25 years, has seen them performing alongside U2, Pink Floyd, Coldplay, Madonna, Robbie Williams and The Who, collaborating with top Jamaican Dancehall artists, and playing to millions of fans around the globe. With an...
It’s official – John Legend is on his way!
GUYS WE DID OUR HOMEWORK AND CAN CONFIRM THAT JOHN LEGEND IS ON HIS WAY! The concert will also feature big names Watershed and Freshly Ground and there’s a whole art and fashion angle attached – read the PR at the end. We’re stilll buzzing! 10 May Breaking News Heaven only knows! This has certainly made our day – thanks to Boogie for the heads up – it’s almost as good as yesterday’s news about Femi Kuti. Apparently John Legend will be headlining the second annual POSITIVE ROCKS event in Sun City on the 16th and 17th June. Ordinary people, let’s go go go to the park…! As soon as we have more info and it’s all confirmed we’ll let you know. If you don’t know John Legends music, check out his site here He’s the most soulful singer of the moment, whose unbelievable vocal, song-writing and piano talent sets the perfect romantic, urban soul backdrop for today’s crazy life. He is a true LEGEND. Just Announced!! John Legend will be performing at POSITIVE 2007 at Sun City Resort on 16 & 17 June. This five time Grammy Award winning R&B singer, songwriter and pianist is ready to set the Superbowl alight with his smooth soulful music. John Legend is an artist who proves that, even in an age of expediency and crass commercialism real talent not only still matters – it is admired, applauded and is a coveted commodity. John Legend’s debut album, Get Lifted, mixed classic R&B grooves with modern hip-hop sounds (and artists) and was one of 2005’s top albums. On the strength of the enduring single “Ordinary People,” the album reached the Top Five of the Billboard 200. This led to three Grammy Awards: Best R&B Album, Best R&B Male Vocal Performance, and Best New Artist. Legend’s next album Once Again launched in October 2006. Legend pours himself into his live performances, really getting into each of his songs, whether they’re about flings or committed relationships he takes the audience to a high level of intensity. He doesn’t hold back and neither does his legions of fans. Superbowl ticket holders can be prepared for an entertainment roller coaster. “Sun International is thrilled to announce John Legends participation in POSITIVE. He is one of this decades foremost musicians and appeals across audiences,” says Philip Georgas, Divisional Director, Sun International Resorts. ”The POSITIVE campaign’s message is to create global awareness of successful AIDS Hospices in South Africa and an artiste of John Legend’s calibre draws attention to the positive work being done in local communities.” This year’s revolutionary arts-fusion fundraiser event promises to be the most amazing...
George Benson and Al Jarreau: “Givin’ It Up”
Have you heard? The kings of cool are coming to town! Grammy- Award winning superstars George Benson and Al Jarreau will give three unique, once-in-a-lifetime concert performances, together in SA in March! They will be performing in Johannesburg at the Coca Cola Dome, Durban at the International Convention Centre, Cape Town at the Bellville Veladrome, and they will also perform at an exclusive private concert as part of the official opening ceremony of the Arena at the International Convention Centre, Durban. While enjoying the world-wide success of “Givin’ It Up”, their first full length CD collaboration together, (released on 24 October 2006), George Benson and Al Jarreau recently began a worldwide promotional tour, performing only in a few selected countries, including South Africa. Local audiences have the rare opportunity and privilege to see two of the world’s finest artists on stage together, accompanied by the Benson/ Jarreau touring musicians. Throughout his career George Benson has embraced everything from straight-ahead jazz to contemporary jazz and R&B/ pop vocals. He is one of a handful of artists who have achieved major critical and commercial success in different genres and this pedigree makes him one of the most respected performers of the past 30 years. Al Jarreau’s unique vocal style and his innovative musical expressions have made him one of the most exciting and critically acclaimed performers of our time. Between them, George Benson and Al Jarreau have sold over 50 million records, had 20 number one hits and won 13 Grammy Awards across pop, jazz and R&B categories. “Givin’ It Up”, the new release teaming singer/guitarist/songwriter George Benson with vocalist extraordinaire/songwriter Al Jarreau marks the first time the two artists have recorded together in their 30-year friendship. The Benson and Jarreau collaboration resulted in new arrangements of each other’s respective biggest hits, “Breezin’” and “Mornin’”. “Givin’ it Up” unites Benson and Jarreau for the first time and features guest appearances from Paul McCartney, Marcus Miller and Chris Botti. It includes “Tutu”, a homage to Bishop Desmond Tutu, featuring special guest Herbie Hancock on acoustic piano. It has been nominated for three Grammy Awards to be announced on 11 February 2007. “Mornin’” was nominated for best pop instrumental, “Breezin’” for best R&B vocal performance by a duo or group and “God Bless The Child” featuring Jill Scott for best traditional R&B vocal performance. Details: Johannesburg: Coca Cola Dome, Northgate Sunday, 18 March 2007 18h00 Durban: International Convention Centre Wednesday, 21 March 2007 (Human Right’s Day) 19h00 Cape Town: Bellville Veladrome Thursday, 22 March 2007 20h00 Ticket prices range from R200- R450. Book now by calling Computicket on 083 915 8000, or...
Soweto Kinch – London’s sweetest Jazz boy
Wow – talk about a cool name – meet London’s youngest and most popular Jazz saxophonist Soweto Kinch – he’s not from South Africa – but he sure seems to carry a little South Western Township spirit n the way he blows that horn. At 28 he is kicking some touche, playing alongside Abdullah Ibrahim, Herbie Hancock, Cassandra Wilson and other fabulous Jazz muso’s at the London Jazz Fe… stival on right now in London. Other locals at the festival besides Dollar Brand are Bheki Mseleku and the sweet voiced and soulful Zimbabwean Jazz vocalist Netsayi, who sings in Shona. Click here for more on the London Jazz festival and to buy tickets. Here’s more on Soweto Kinch below or read an interview with him at FLY here (thx for the pic – photographer Damian Rafferty) and click here to hear/see him on YouTube: Born in London, England in 1978 to a Barbadian father and British-Jamaican mother, Soweto Kinch is one of the most exciting and versatile young musicians to hit the British jazz scene in recent years. He first became interested in music at the tender age of eight, playing clarinet at primary school. He quickly developed a fondness for the alto saxophone and was given his first instrument when he was nine. After meeting Wynton Marsalis four years later he discovered and became passionate about jazz, first concentrating on piano and later, in his teens, focusing on alto saxophone. Soweto’s musical influences are as broad as they are diverse. He particularly admires Sonny Rollins for his innovative style and successful appropriation of West Indian music within the jazz canon. Most recently, Soweto has been influenced by baroque and early classical music due to an interest he has in the 17th and 18th century black population of Britain. He is keen to reconstruct the African and classical influences that this community would have had. As an alto player, Soweto is rapidly developing his own sound which is rich, energetic and dynamic and though he clearly has a strong respect for tradition, he is continually exploring his jazz inheritance. In 2001 he established the Soweto Kinch Trio – with bassist Michael Olatuja and drummer Troy Miller, both exceptional young players – which supported Courtney Pine at the former Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Birmingham and performed at the Royal Festival Hall and Cheltenham International Jazz Festival. His aim with the Trio was to move audiences with the simplicity of his band and to discover the breadth of sounds and dynamics he could achieve with these basic elements. At the end of 2002, Soweto began work on his dýbut album, extending...
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