|
|
  |
| | |
|
» CD Reviews » Features » Live Reviews » Travel Features
| LIVE REVIEWS 'Orgasmic' jazz fest rocks Mother City Photography by Sam Reinders Norman Mailer once said: “ …jazz is orgasm, it is the music of orgasm”. I couldn’t agree more... and this weekend’s North Sea Jazz Festival — which took the Good Hope Centre hostage and rocked the Mother City — was just that: orgasmic. A smorgasbord of traditional jazz (African and European), cutting edge contemporary fusion, beats and hip hop sounds combined for an electric 48 hours of aural pleasure — with just a few hours between Friday night and Saturday night to rest and take it all in — before the orgasmic aural assault began again. Thursday evening, preceding the main event, saw a “teaser” concert on the cobbled stones of Greenmarket Square — enabling people that didn’t have the R300 or so to cough up for a weekend ticket to share in the music celebration. The atmosphere was one of jubilation — to say the least. Singing and dancing among wafts of KFC and thinners, the people of Cape Town seemed to put the plug in the CBD’s socket — lighting it up with physical and emotional electricity. On stage providing the impetus for this party was The Standard Bank National Jazz Band (guided and inspired by the excellent Barney Rashabane). Special mention here has to go to bass player Shaun Johannes who definitely seemed to be a crowd favourite — exciting them with a climatic solo. Adding international flavour to the night was Mukta — a French outfit with a distinctly Indian inflection (due to the inclusion of a sitar). Performing three more gigs in South Africa (April 2 at University of Natal, April 3 at Pretoria’s Tings and Times, and April 5 at Joburg’s Horror Café) this band plans to share their very unique form of world music to as many South African ears as possible. Catch them if you can. Continuing the international line up was Relax, a Dutch hip-hop crew with funky tracksuits and a slick stage performance. Relax the crowd certainly didn’t and these boys got them onto their feet screaming for more as they hipped and hopped their way through some of the tunes off their latest offering, including the very catchy 'Rockon' and 'Shizznizz'.
Regardless of your taste in jazz — from big band to solo, Grammy Award winners to newcomers, classic to cutting edge, trumpets to piano, diva’s to DJ’s — somewhere under the roof of the Good Hope Centre awaited a performance ready to blow your mind away. Because of this incredible diversity it is utterly impossible to single out one or two performers or bands and say, with confidence, that they were the best. And of course, music is extremely personal. You might hate my best, I may love your worst…. but, nonetheless, here are a few performances that stuck out in my mind and songs that I found myself humming as I rushed from one stage to the next trying desperately to get it all in. Opening up Kippies (the main stage) was Jabu Khanyile and Bayete. Multi SAMA award winning Khanyile, sporting his trademark African Flystick, had North Sea Jazz Festival goers clapping their hands and dancing from song one — a positive sign of what was to follow on this stage in the next 48 hours. Deodata — Brazilian virtuoso — also graced the Kippies stage. This uncanny Elton John lookalike taught himself to play keyboards as a child and over the years has worked with none other than Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin and Roberta Flack. His adaptation of Richard Straus’s 'Also Sprach Zarathustra' flowed from speakers at cinemas worldwide as the title music to Stanley Kubrick's film '2001: A Space Odyssey'. His keyboard melodies, helped along by his very charismatic percussionist, whipped the crowd into frenzy. Although not my personal favourite performance of the festival, nine time Grammy Award winning Take 6 (a last minute addition to the line up following Isaac Hayes' decision not to come) have to be recognised for their tight and slick a capella performance. They definitely seemed to have the crowds weak at the knees — especially the screaming fans in the front row. India.Arie was phenomenal. Soul vibes mixed with a touch of folk, in turn blended with lyrics so personal you feel like you are reading her journal made for an extremely special musical experience. With a flowing white top (she told me earlier in the day that her mother is her personal stylist and she doesn’t go anywhere without her!) she looked everything like an angel. Her music was honest, unpretentious and deeply affecting. Rich melodies, great backing singers and natural instrumental textures combine to highlight India’s profoundly powerful message — a message that runs through both her 'Acoustic Soul' album as well as her new offering 'Voyage to India' — and that is “to love yourself.” It's no wonder she walked away with two coveted Grammy Awards at this year’s ceremony. The inspirational positivism that shined through her performance — and is evident in her studio work — is an important balance to current world affairs. Speaking at a press conference earlier in the day she was asked if she had had any doubts about performing in this time where anti American feeling is rife and war in Iraq was headline news. Her response was simple. No doubt at all. At a time like this music is what you need. She felt that by performing she was doing her bit to raise hope, make people smile and spread a positive energy. And that she did! Next up on the Kippies stage was the John Scofield Uberjam. This guitar mastermind — who has played alongside Miles Davis — led his team on a journey of captivating improvisations and forward thinking compositions. Using his pedals to layer the sound, Schofield creates a sound that is vibrant and exciting. His facial expressions alone are worth watching — and you feel like the man is about to lapse into an epileptic fit as he puts absolutely everything into his guitar.
The Rosies stage was a different experience altogether, providing for a far more quiet and serious auditorium feel. Despite having to wait in a huge queue, and be pushed and shoved to get in to the auditorium, the end result was well worth it! This stage saw the likes of Yusef Lateef — universally acknowledged as one of the great living masters and innovators in the African American tradition of autophysiopsychic music — that which comes from one’s spiritual, physical and emotional self. His music immediately evokes respect and awe. The term multi instrumentalist is an understatement for this musician — and, on the small stage at Rosies, he gave the audience a taste of some of these, including a few traditional African instruments. The sound was haunting, almost uneasy. I found it a pity that he did not perform on his own (instead with Adam Rudolph, a genius in his own musical right). I felt that the two parties didn’t seem to connect on any level making the performance a little fragmented. Nonetheless, I left the auditorium feeling like I had just witnessed one of the most important musical legends of our time. I felt awed. Marcus Wyatt also earned respect on the Rosies stage. Although he was the very last artist to perform at the festival — in the wee hours of Sunday morning — enthusiastic crowds still lapped it up, albeit sneaking the odd, involuntary, yawn. The connection between the band members is obviously a tight one and this shines through in the music — which flows from one solo to the next interspersed with Marcus’s trumpeting brilliance and a few subtle backing lyrics.
Neo Muyanga (of Blk Sonshine fame) unleashed his solo talent to festivalgoers. His shy giggle and impressive voice travel through the cavities of your body and take hold of you. Lyrically, his music is poignant and creative to a degree of genius. Being one of the first performances I saw, I hummed the chorus line to his song 'Born in a Taxi' continually for the duration of the festival. Another feast of musical talent manifested itself in Herbert Live. Under the leadership of Matthew Herbert, this British based band (perhaps based is the wrong word here as they are appearing in 16 countries this month alone) performed work from their 'Bodily Functions' (2001) release. Using a sampler (“The most important piece of music equipment,” according to Matthew) he releases a fascinating array of recorded sounds on the audience, which are skilfully integrated with the stirring vocals of Dani Siciliano. Matthew incorporates acoustic twists of jazz and soul into an electronic framework to produce a unique and advanced interpretation of house music.
The Bassline stage also saw the likes of Benguela (ambient improvisation kings), Godessa (Cape Town’s leading ladies of hip-hop — now performing with a live band), Tony Cox and Barry van Zyl duo (Van Zyl being arguably one of SA’s finest drummers) and Relax (Dutch hip-hip-meets-funk extraordinaire). The forth and final stage, Mannenbergs, was an open-air affair and the momentum for a kick-ass outdoor party — from sundowner sets to songs under the stars. Allou April, one of South Africa’s leading guitarists, dazzled crowds at Mannenbergs, as did Andreas Vollenweider, Swiss harpist of astonishing genius. His buoyant funk beats, exotic pan-cultural influences and colourful harp improvisations have a distinctly European feel — and this is where the beauty lies. Joining Andreas on stage was none other than Pops Mohammed — African musical phenomenon, multi instrumentalist and cutting edge producer. The combination of European and African met with an explosion whose shrapnel was fun, funk and an exceptionally unique sound. Busi Mhlongo (see main pic, top) shared her world music with Mannenberg festival goers as well. Difficult to categorise, her sound is a mixture of mbaqanga, maskanda, marabi and traditional Zulu. This is in turn mixed with hints of jazz, funk, rock, gospel, opera, reggae and West African sounds to produce a sound that is unique to Busi and as fresh as a newly baked roll straight out of the oven. So much to talk about — so little time. Besides these artists, the public was also treated to performances from Jonas Gwangwa, Archie Shepp and Amina Myers, Moses Khumalo,Bheki Mseleku and Winston “Mankunku”Ngozi, Bugge Wesseltoft, Osibisa, Loading Zone, Eric Vloeimans, Andile Yenana, Pieces of a Dream featuring Gerald Veasley and Dr Philip Tabane. As the clock clicked slowly towards 3am on Sunday, the North Sea Jazz Festival came to a reluctant end. Guitars and other instruments were placed back into their cases — covered in stickers from music events world over. Organisers breathed a sigh of relief and had a stiff drink, and members of the public went home to absorb all that they had experienced. The Good Hope Centre slowly emptied, the lights switched off — leaving a vacuum of litter on the ground — and the memories of songs bouncing off the walls. Until next year…..
| | | ||||||||
| |||||||||||
