Joyful Jazz

Walking along the Newtown precinct on a balmy and starry Friday evening — described as the pulsating heartbeat of a larger Johannesburg city — invigorating strains of jazz music waft through the streets. As the sunrays lazily go down the city’s skyline, the harmonies interact, somewhat intimately, with deep melodies stirred up by notes struck on an assortment of strings and horn instruments.

Not only are the soft jazzy tunes caressing, but also engage musically like a conversation as one of the biggest jazz extravaganzas get underway.

The annual Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival held in South Africa last weekend is celebrating its 10th edition this year. Grandeur and scintillating live concerts stand out as the highlights of this three-day event.

Enchanting vocalists

Traditionally, different segments of the epic musical carnival are simultaneously showcased on multiple podiums. Each is located within walking distance for revellers to sample varied concerts on offer with relative convenience.

Taking her place of pride, at the Dinaledi stage is Judith Sephuma — hailed as one of South Africa’s pre-eminent female vocalists and leading contemporary jazz voices. Within moments, she enchants with consummate ease an undisputedly excited, houseful audience. Her sultry and mellow vocals rise boldly to the surface, in ripples, soaring above instrumental chords as she sings through her repertoire.

Judith Sephuma’s back-up vocalists Mahalia Buchnan and Sifiso Kanyile. [PHOTO: EMMANUEL MWENDWA/STANDARD]

"I’m glad to be here tonight at the Joy of Jazz festival," Sephuma intones, amidst rapturous applause from the crowd. She performs songs off her CDs A Smile, A Cry, A Dance and cuts off her latest album, Change is Here.

So distinctive are Sephuma’s haunting harmonies, striking an incredibly perfect balance with complementary voices of back-up singers Margaret Motsage, Sifiso Khanyile and Mahalia Buchnan.

impressive sound

As she segues through cuts You Stole My Heart, Lerato La Pelo, A Cry A Smile and My Saviour, the latter songs evoke memories of her concert staged in Nairobi two years ago. Almost halfway through her set, I’m compelled to make a quick dash to the adjacent Mbira podium.

The serenading voice of fast-rising Rwandese but US-based emergening star singer Kabasomi Kakoma aka Somi, has been wooing teeming audiences, thanks to her captivating gift of impressive vocals range.

It suddenly dawns that Somi’s performance is significant, as she brings into the festival mould a tangible hint of subtle East African jazz, a region known to be inclined towards the lesser refined musical genres. The blend of her Ugandan and Rwandese heritage is clearly identifiable, oozing from the songs repertoire she immerses the crowds into, cut off her album Red Soil in My Eyes.

Numerous jazz artistes, ensembles and collectives are in the meantime also lined up for shows on other four different venues — the Market Theatre, Sophiatown, Bassline and Niki’s Oasis podiums.

These include multi-talented South African songwriter/singer/radio host Unathi Nkayi, Gauteng Jazz Orchestra, US trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, saxophonist Marion Meadows, pianist Bob Baldwin, afro-pop jazz Live Rhythms band, Brian Thusi — a trumpet, flugel horn and trombone brass instruments maestro, among others.

But the evening’s toast is arguably renowned guitarist Jimmy Dludlu, whose concert packs to the rafters. This is no doubt, a resounding testimony of his popularity as an accomplished jazz artiste. The audiences easily get deeply immersed in most songs he performs alongside instrumentalists drawn from various parts of the globe. So engaging is his set that even as one tune ends, the energy he stirs up appears seamless — with each note re-ignited in the next song, perhaps struck on a different chord.

Great Guitarist

Throughout the hour-long act, Dludlu indulges audience in a vibrant, musical dialogue, effortlessly picking up rapport with thrilled revelers with some songs cut off his latest CD simply titled Portraits. As the clock ticks closer to midnight dial, US soul group Main Ingredient are still on stage, with lead vocalist Cuba Gooding Snr (the father of actor Cuba Gooding Jnr).

They perform old-school favourite hits Just Don’t Want to be Lonely, I’m So Proud, Everybody Plays the Fool and Spinning Around (I Must be Falling in Love), all which stormed US charts in the 1970s.

But the group earns an earlier slot on day two, whose major headliner act is Vusi Mahlasela alongside veteran jazz composer and legendary trombonist Jonas Gwangwa.

As the household South African trombonist takes crowd through his timeless, heady hits Batsumi, Shebeen, Ledimo, Time Up and Flowers of the Nation, among other songs at Dinaledi podium, bursting at the seams — he is accorded a heroic, standing ovation.

But night is not complete without hundreds of jazz aficionados and enthusiasts tapping toes, nodding heads and getting down to impressive gigs rendered by US guitarist Norman Brown, Kunle Ayo, fronting the Nigerian All Stars act and Swiss harpist Andreas Vollenweider, performing alongside Kora instrumentalist Pops Mohammed.

 

 

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