The melting pot of cultures

Forget Man United’s blip that was aggravated by playing too many matches with the same squad. The big Red Machine is still ready and will nick it in Lisbon next Wednesday after thrashing Sunderland tomorrow to retain their position at the top of the table. But I digress, although football has been my first love, jazz music is my thing. I enjoy listening to the soothing sounds of saxophone, the riffs from double bass, sweet chords from keyboard and of course the drums. So, last week I made my way to sample jazz fusion during Cape Town International Jazz Festival held in the Mother City. And the 10 edition of the festival proved that it was Africa’s grandest gathering. The class acts from across the globe wowed us. For the second time, Jazz maestro Jonathan Butler and Dave Koz were inspiring. But the showpiece belonged to Hugh Masekela who partied with fans as he celebrated his 70th birthday. He not only showcased his enigmatic side on stage but proved that his veins were rich with jazz.

And for pulsers the toast of two-day event was Freshlyground. The multi-racial and talented youngsters were a revelation. Drawing their band members from Southern African countries the group is destined to go places. Read about their inspiring story on page 20. But what made this group too successful? It is the harmony and blending of their musical instruments. Here in Kenya, only a handful of our stars have invested in playing any musical instrument. Let’s debate whether musicians playing live are more entertaining than playback musos. My take is that Kenyan musicians should enhance their shows by playing live to get even a bigger audience and international recognition.