Up-and-comers and established musos mingle at the Standard Bank National Jazz Festival

[TeamSouthAfrica]

There’s a big buzz hanging over the university town of Grahamstown as the Standard Bank National Jazz Festival Kicks off as part of the National Arts Festival 2015.

Art lovers and music fans from around the county and indeed the globe gather for the annual event that celebrates dance and theatre, comedy, film, opera and of course jazz.

Among the 140-odd international musicians and local jazz musos who’ve come down to play the 11 Days of Amazing, are about 200 students intent on learning from them. The high school and university students are here to attend workshops and audition for the National Youth Big Band and the National Schools Ensemble along with the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band.

Huddled together or pacing the pathways of the blue and white branded DSG Hall, Auditorium and school grounds with instruments in tow, these jittery figures are birthing the future jazz headliners of our nation. It’s just as Shane Cooper, Kasivan Naidoo, Concord Nkabinde and many others who also won the Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year award winners did in their budding days. Not surprisingly, the weight of this history makes a nervous wreck of these wide-eyed hopefuls. The National Arts festival is after all, the barometer of our country’s creative output. To shine here is to shine everywhere.

As the day slouches to the end, everyone is talking about pianist and composer, Bokani Dyer who will take to the stage with his quintet in the first performance of the year. Part of the intrigue is the fact that he is collaborating with Swedish jazz artists, blending the contemporary vitality of SA Jazz with Swedish precision.

With the cherry popped on the jazz performance stage, the bassist and composer loved for making music on the edge of wrong take to field. This is Carlo Mombelli & The Story Tellers. The band is led by the Joburg-based jazz artist and includes the exquisite voice artist, Mbuso Khoza who often challenges audiences to listen beyond their comfort zones. The set is followed by Vuma Levin’s jam session at the Standard Bank Jazz N Blues Cafe.

Other bursts of energy take form in dance with Mamela Nyamza and Nelisiwe Xaba presenting what is arguably their hottest piece of choreography yet. Titled ‘The Last Attitude’, it may well be referring to the last traces of docility of a town about to be taken over by culture-crazed visitors from around the world.