Celebrate International Jazz Day South Africa with Kaya 959 and Standard Bank

The world has found itself in an unimaginable moment of a global standstill. Although the devastating outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic sees us existing within great distance from each other, music as a universal language is powerful in bringing people together.

With the postponement of International Jazz Day, which would have been hosted in South Africa for the first time, Kaya 959 and Standard Bank have brought together an exceptional lineup of musicians to celebrate the Roots and Routes of African Jazz virtually, which viewers can access online for free.

With roots that originate on the continent —jazz has travelled across borders, and sustained through memory it has found itself in many different incarnations. The theme, Roots and Routes, was developed by the hosts of International Jazz Day to raise the question of lineage, as well as to look at what makes South Africa unique in the continuous effort to place local culture, jazz and art on the world map.

In exploring this conversation on this important day, we are looking at how our culture has travelled the world through our jazz artists and their engagement with people of other cultures. Through their work and music we explore how these cultural nuances have in turn impacted communities around the globe. As part of this year’s celebration we also seek to promote continuity by challenging ourselves to document and preserve this culture, which is important for both social cohesion and prosperity. The artists who are being showcased as part of the virtual International Jazz Day South Africa 2020 celebrations represent this lineage through their individual artistic convictions.

“Jazz Music is a language spoken by nations of the world each with its native dialect. International Jazz Day is an opportunity to share ours with the world. Covid -19 has in a strange way forced us to remember our shared humanity and calls for us to find innovative and authentic ways to communicate. Our hosting of Jazzday2020 is a timely opportunity to elevate our country’s gene pool of jazz, by sharing the untold stories of our virtuosos, practitioners, through our various mediums and online spaces”, expressed Brenda Sisane, Executive Director of International Jazz Day South Africa and host of The Art of Sunday.

International Jazz Day Programming on air

WEDNESDAY 29 APRIL 2020

THE LAW REPORT WITH MICHAEL MOTSWENENG BILL (20h00 – 21h00)

In honor of World IP Day 2020 which took place on the 26^th of April, we bring a discussion that puts a spotlight on artists’ rights in the ever-changing media space particularly within the context of the digital era. Mike Motsweneng will discuss these issues with jazz singer and pianist, JazzDaySA Board Member, and SAMRO Foundation Deputy Chairperson Nomfundo Xaluva, as well as Dr. Chijioke who currently based at UCT Law. Dr. Chijioke is the author of Multi-Sided Music Platforms and the Law, which explores the legal and regulatory frameworks surrounding copyright protection, competition, and privacy concerns arising from the way multi-sided platforms use copyright-protected content in digital advertising and more.

THURSDAY 30 APRIL 2020

MIDDAY JOY WITH UNATHI (12h00 – 15h00)

When the coronavirus hit South Africa, Spha Mdlalose was in the middle of touring her debut album, Indel’eyekhaya. The vocalist and host of The Arts Lounge on Kaya 959’s online jazz station, Jazzuary FM, joins Unathi Nkayi with a selection of her favourite jazz tracks for the Listener Lockdown Playlist Edition of the Twenty20 mix while sharing her thoughts on this year’s JazzDaySA theme.

TODAY WITH JOHN PERLMAN (18h00 – 19h00)

The a Song, a Book and a Dish segment profiles prominent South Africans through the stories they tell about their most meaningful song, book and dish selections. For the JazzDaySA edition, celebrated composer, jazz pianist and the 2018 Standard Bank Young Artist, Thandi Ntuli joins John Perlman to talk about her life.

FRIDAY 1 MAY

PLATINUM FRIDAYS (09h00-12h00)

Celebrated jazz collector and co-founder of E-Jazz Appreciation Society Mamsie Ntshangase will be in conversation with Thabo Mokwele. Her collection is the envy of many, and her knowledge of jazz music and championing of the South African jazz movement to the world is legendary. Mamsie was the first person to put her organization’s might behind the bid to host International Jazz Day. For his MA qualification, the show’s host, Thabo Mokwele researched the power of women as music collectors and the value of a record archive. The conversation between the two is a necessary addition to this year’s dialogues.

International Jazz Day Programming on kayatv.co.za

A joint performance by McCoy Mrubata and Paul Hanmer – both artists are part of a collective of musicians born in the 50s and 60s, who are currently passing on the baton to a younger musicians of this day. Additionally we have a performance by father and son duo Steve Dyer and Bokani Dyer whose working relationship lies a commitment to showcase this region through sonic experiences that employ indigenous forms and styles.With projects such as Connecting Generations and Letters to Azania, Luyanda Madope takes us on a journey through the story of a young artist paying homage to his elders and echoing their vision in contemporary times. The Art of 145 is the topic Lwanda Gogwana’s masterclass that will focus on theoretical and performance aesthetics of two birth styles of South African Jazz; Marabi and Kwela.

∗All these performances and masterclasses can be streamed on the 30^th of April from 10h00.

International Jazz Day Programming on www.jazzday.com

– An interview with legendary American jazz pianist, composer and International Jazz Day Chairman Herbie Hancock (10h00).

– A performance by Australian-based South African saxophonist Mark Ginsburg (11h00).

– A performance by Trinidadian composer and bandleader Etienne Charles and the Creole Soul TV Big Band (13h00) .

– Messages and perfromances from International Jazz Day global artists (13h00).

– First piano dedication performance by pianist, producer and session musician Luyanda Madope featuring Lwanda Gogwana (17h00) .

– Dyertribe piano duet and soprano saxophone performance by Mantswe a Marabi (18h00).

Follow International Jazz Day @jazzdaysa on Instagram, twitter and Facebook

#jazzday2020 #jazzdaysouthafrica #jazzdaycapetown #rootsandroutes #africanjazz #lockdownwithjazz

For more information visit kayafm.co.za or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. To set up interviews, please contact [email protected]

NOTES TO EDITORS: About Kaya 959 95.9

Kaya 959 95.9 reflects the lives of the predominantly black, urban listener between the ages 25-49 living in Gauteng. The station broadcasts both music and talk. Kaya 959 95.9 broadcasts in English on the FM frequency signal 95(Dot)9, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The current listenership stands at 450 000 per average day and 762 000 per average 7 days. The music format offers a diverse soulful mix of adult contemporary music to smoother sounds like R&B, World Music, Soul and Jazz. The station was recently named Station of the Year 2019 at the Liberty Radio Awards.

Written by: Ntombenhle

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