Apologies to all the winners for Ballentines ballsup @ Bassline
If you were a ‘winner’ and went to the Bassline on Saturday night only to find there was no list and your name was nowhere to be found, firstly, we’d like to apologise sincerely for this bad experience. Secondly, we’d like you to know that this had very little to do with Represent and everything to do with the venue, Bassline, and the organiser Andrew, who was managing our ticket giveaway. After generously piling on the free tickets for our readers, and us providing all info timeously, they had promised to have everyone’s names at the door on the list on time – a very simple thing to do – but it turns out they couldn’t be bothered. We are busy compiling a list of ‘winners’ experiences that night as well as finding out how they will compensate you, so please do get in touch on editor@represent.co.za, we have the list of everyone that won. It’s a sad day when people are treated so badly, without respect and we apologise once again, as you know, we do this all for the love and support of SA music, but we’re beginning to wonder if it’s worth it. Sharpile for your support as always. Editorista. We’ve got a bunch of tickets to give-away to this week’s Ballantines Finest Jazz “Leave an Impression” event – It’s happening live at the Bassline in Newtown on Saturday 2nd May 2009 and will feature the brilliant DON LAKA and the sultry SAMA winning SIMPHIWE DANA. If you’d like to win a pair, simply email Editorista on editor@represent.co.za with your name, your partners name, your cell numbers and the answer to this question: at which famous Johannesburg Jazz venue will the Ballentine’s Finest Jazz event take place this weekend? More details below or click on the flyer for more: Ballantine’s has been presenting some top South African jazz artist at various Newtown venues over the past year and is extremely proud to present two headline acts at arguably the home of South African Jazz on Saturday 02 May, when Don Laka and Simphiwe Dana play at the Ballantine’s Finest Jazz event at Bassline – this event is sure to LEAVE AN IMPRESSION and we are extremely proud to be the headline sponsors. The Ballantines Finest Jazz at the Bassline is a jazz event to look forward to reminiscent of the high quality jazz concerts from the Bassline Jazz Club in Melville days! Headline for the evening is the inimitable Don Laka performing his signature “Kwaai Jazz” with Jazz Diva supreme Simphiwe Dana taking on the support act slot. Don Laka after 35 years in the music...
Represent ♡’s Kalimba Beatbox
Probably the most poignant video we’ve seen (and heard) on the web in a long time. Carlos plays the Kalimba and makes soulful sweet jazzy sounds with his mouth… Some kind of beautiful. Just wish it didn’t...
MUST DO: Jazz lovers get to CTIJF
Jazzinista’s we hope you’re planning ahead to catch the broadly diverse line up at this year’s CTIJF taking place in less than 3 weeks! Ranging from some of SA’s hottest current bands like Goldfish, 340ml and Siphokazi, then showcasing some of the less commercial but deeply intriguing South African jazz cats like Carlo Mombelli & The Prisoners of Strange and McCoy Mrubata… through to two of our favourite international bands – acid jazz group Incognito from the 90s (still a friend of mine!) and the AMAZING Congo-Belgian all-girl group Zap Mamas (call me!) – And smoothly topped off with an edgy hiphp touch – Mos Def feat The Robert Glasper Experiment (to name but a few), it’s gonna be shaking in Cape Town! Surely this range of talent must put the festival on the global lists of ‘must attend’ jazz festivals. Here is the full line-up. Just added to this list is the young and fabulous Zaki Ibrahim, read all about it below: 340ml; Carlo Mombelli & The Prisoners of Strange; Goldfish; Kyle Shepherd Quartet; Magic Malik Orchestra Napalma; Ndumiso Nyovane; Pete Philly & Perquisite; The Robert Glasper Experiment; Shakatak; Siphokazi; South Paw; Stewart Sekuma; Al Foster Quartet; Arturo Lledo; Dave Liebman Quartet; Dianne Reeves; Emily Bruce; Freshlyground; Hugh Masekela; Incognito; Jonathan Rubain; Kyle Eastwood Band; Loading Zone; Maceo Parker; Maurice Gawronsky feat. Feya Faku; New York Voices; Peter White; Ringo Madlingozi; Rus Nerwich’s collective imagination; The Stylistics; Zap Mama; Jonathan Butler with special guest Dave Koz; Dr. Malombo Philip Tabane, “Opera Meets Jazz” Mike Del Ferro, Sibongile Khumalo, and Shannon Mowday; Abigail Kubeka, Cape Town Jazz Orchestra, McCoy Mrubata and Special Friends and Mos Def feat The Robert Glasper Experiment. To complete this year’s lineup, organisers of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival revealed that Zaki Ibrahim will join the other thirty-nine acts that appear on 03-04 April at Africa’s Grandest Gathering. While she refuses to categorise her music, what Zaki dishes out is a fusion of hip-hop, earthy soul, deep house, broken electro-acoustic beats and jazz-inflected vocal intonations. Still in her 20’s, the Toronto-based South African singer has taken up as her mission, the creation of smooth hip-hop. Born to an exiled South African father and Scottish mother, Zaki spent her early years shuttling between Cape Town and the city of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island in British Columbia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia> , Canada. She was drawn to hip-hop at early age and started to perform when she moved to British Columbia ’s largest city, Vancouver. Explaining the pull of hip-hop on her, the singer who has been living in Toronto since 2001 describes how as a child he listened...
Representin’ in Windhoek
We’re delighted to have a new Representah on board keeping an eye out on what’s going down in Namibia, welcome Galefele Matlhwăi Molema to the family: Old Mutual has put together an exceptional line-up for the annual Jazz Encounter in Windhoek for the second year. The news of this concert is most welcome for not only those SA Jazz lovers living out of Mzanzi – expats and jazz loving Namibians alike will get a good dose of soulful African Jazz music this weekend in the capital. This year’s concert features two of the finest musicians, Zamajobe and the Moreira Project in addition to some Namibian local talent, maintaining a 50/50 split on the line-up. Zamajobe will be giving us a taste of her up and coming album and The Moreira Project will be representing Zimbabwe. The encounter aims to promote the genre locally by providing a platform for fresh upcoming Namibian talent. This year local musicians will be invited to attend an “open mic evening” at the Warehouse Theatre. The concert will be held on September 27, at the Windhoek High School sports ground (Vegkop). Gates open at 6pm while the show kicks off at 7pm. Tickets are a available at Musica and Fresh n Wild across Namibia. Don’t forget to bring your blankets and chairs. Come and REPRESENT in Namibia this...
Represent Review: Jazz at Moratele Park
Reuben ‘The Matrix’ Malema kicked back at a highly entertaining day of jazz at Moratele Park last weekend in a warmer Tshwane. Obviously The Matrix had a ball, but he just couldn’t quiet a nagging question – ‘Who will replace the Jazz greats when they’re gone?’ See our photostory from Represent’s supertalented photographer, Nkateko Siweya, by clicking here. Friday night – 29 August 2008. The Newtown Cultural Precinct. Rejoicing in the mellow tunes of jazz is the prevailing mood and yours truly is taking it very slow. Jazz, like all other things which are so blissfully fulfilling, demands that one graciously savour it in bite-size portions lest you spoil the encapsulating experience that is so full of delight. The organizers of this year’s colossal event left nothing to chance. Enthused fans and all visitors had to park their vehicles at the Old Johannesburg Train Station located adjacent to the Market Theatre on Carr Street. The entire area of the Event was fenced off and fully equipped security personnel tirelessly scoured the populous venue. Creative décor and free-flowing performing arts unfolded unhampered as the entire venue was transformed into a Kofifi/ Marimba cultural village of yesteryear: Sofiatown. Flute and harmonica tunes taunted the mind to imagine a place that mostly exists in the National Archives of South Africa’s past cosmopolitan glory (or the Drum magazine archives – Ed 😉 ). The eyes couldn’t help but swiftly teleport the mind into the world of the unison dancers of the smash hit: Sarafina! I found myself uncontrollably whistling away to the familiar harmony : “O tla utlwa bo-tsotsi ba re: a re yeng ko Meadowlands! Meadowlands, Meadowlands, Meadowlands Sithandwa sam’ !” Priceless! The Event At 19h00, yours truly and Mr. Siweya enjoyed the exemplary performance of local artist Mark Fransman at the Dinaledi stage. The Market Theatre played host to the Classic Jazz Masters followed by the charming Simphiwe Dana (If only wishes were horses). 20h15, by this time my partying mood had reached fever pitch, with the least intension of slowing down. We headed for the Mbira stage to catch the fantastic showcase of artistic skill and unlimited ease of the Nigerian born ‘Asa’. 21h15 still at Mbira, I was plunged (head first!) into a whirlpool of romantic ballads by Ringo Madlingozi, my sense of imaginary infatuation was completely and utterly drenched into a soapy mess!! The Spinners from USA skillfully breached the fun between Dinaledi stage and Bassline where Joshua Redman (USA) twirled us about with his ingenious saxophonist melodies. I thought this event was totally fabulous. Thank you Standard Bank for taking us down the Sofiatown history timeline and...
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