The 13th Annual Cape Town International Jazz Festival | March 30th-31st, 2012

“If it’s music, sweet music,
lets it play, ” is the philosophy of Jamaican-hailing reggae band Third
World – one of the headliner acts aimed at bridging these divides.
Originally formed in 1973 in Kingston, Third World has over its
three-decade spanning career interwoven subtleties of funk, soul,
R&B and rock into reggae music, releasing 23 albums in total. They
are one of Jamaica’s longest running acts which means that they easily
bumped heads with the likes of Bob Marley and the Wailers early in their
career. Third World will make their South African debut at this year’s
festival, firing up their message of peace, love and unity.
Brooklyn
based multi-instrumentalist and producer, Marcus Miller is another
major artist who headlines the festival. While Millers’ main instrument
is bass, his prolific work started in the late 70s. He has worked as an
arranger, songwriter, film score composer, keyboardist, clarinetist and
saxophonist. A live set from Miller can include an odd mix of anything
from The Talking Heads to John Coltrane and The Stylistics. Miller was
born at a time when jazz was peaking in New York. He was part of a
musical family which made becoming a multi-instrumentalist in his
teenage years natural. Some of his best known work is with Miles Davis
during the early 80’s, working on the albums Tutu and Music from Siesta.
He has an epic background of musical accolades and as a session
musician has worked with the likes of Michael Jackson, Wayne Shorter,
Chaka Khan and Aretha Franklin.
Harlem born songwriter and vocalist
Patti Austin and her trio will tour her Grammy award-winning jazz
program which includes hits ranging from Ella Fitzgerald to Avant
Gershwin. Austin has a legacy of 16 solo albums which cross musical
boundaries. Her road to success was paved early as she made her debut at
the Apollo Theatre in 1954 at the age of four and had a contract with
RCA Records when she was five. Keeping the musical fires burning, The
Patti Austin Trio’s festival performance will form part of a massive
2012 European tour with new album Sound Advice.

Completing the
headliners of international performers is Kansas City-born vocalist
Kevin Mahogany. New Yorker Magazine has labeled him “The Standout jazz
vocalist of his generation”. Starting off his career as an
instrumentalist, Mahogany has focused his career on being a jazz
vocalist in the style of Joe Williams. Currently he runs his own label
called Mahogany Jazz.

The legendary Quincy Jones is responsible
for discovering and introducing Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodriguez to the
festival organisers. The impromptu performance of Rodriguez in Jones’
lounge for organisers Rashid Lombard and Billy Domingo convinced the
pair that Rodriguez was a natural fit for the festival. Jones says “I’m
thrilled that Alfredo has been given a platform to perform at the Cape
Town International Jazz Festival. I think he will find surprising
musical similarities between his roots in Cuba and his South African
experience.”
Other international performers at the festival include
Chinese minimalist solo pianist Xia Jia and French bossa nova meets
nu-wave act Nouvelle Vague. Joining them is Allen Stone, a storytelling
guitarist and singer from Washington who could be described as a funky
white boy with soul. Angolan afro-funk singer and composer Gabriel
Tchiema completes the line-up of international acts.

Audiences
will be thrilled to see legendary South African trumpeter and bandleader
Hugh Masekela return to the festival and present a special project for
the first time on local shores. Masekela will rally up an army of
musical giants for ‘MAMA AFRICA’ -a tribute to the great songbird Miriam
Makeba. Masekela as musical director joins forces with a powerhouse
trio of vocalists in the form of Vusi Mahlasela, Thandiswa Mazwai and
Zolani Mahola. The show made its debut at the Rio Loco Festival in
Toulouse, France in June 2010 and has since travelled to Barcelona,
London and Berlin.

Masekela won’t be the only South African legend
on stage this year. Dorothy Masuka will also perform at the festival.
Masuka rose to fame in the 50’s as a struggle artist as a singer
alongside the likes of Masekela and Makeba.
If the edgiest music
that is coming out of South Africa at the moment is hip-hop, then the
festival has been spot on with the talent this year. HHP aka Hip Hop
Pantsula and Cape Town’s own swag-boasting Ill Skillz aka Ill Literate
Skill join the line-up. HHP is a multi-SAMA award-winning rapper and
alongside Ill Skillz represent fresh and youthful South African voices.

There
is a huge focus on African roots and rhythms on the festival line-up
this year. Pietermaritzburg born saxophonist Steve Dyer has been on the
South African music scene for some time but he has constantly evolved
musically. His latest project Ubuntu Music will be released as an album
this year and performed at the festival for the first time. His band
features pianist Bokani Dyer, bassist Shaun Johannes, trumpeter Lwanda
Gogwana and drummer Andre Swartz. In a similar vein, South
African
bassist Herbie Tsoaeli, who has performed with some of S.A’s greatest
jazz musicians, will be presenting his long-awaited debut album African
Time. Harmonica player Adam Glasser has spent significant time between
South Africa and the United Kingdom, collaborating with major artists
from both countries such as Dudu Pukwana and Toots Thielemens. Glasser
will present his latest album Mzansi at the festival. Cape Town based
saxophonist Victor Kula grew up in Rylands and now resides in Gugulethu.
He has kept his musical associations proudly local and is greatly
influenced by the late Winston ‘Mankunku’ Ngozi. Hassan’adas led by
percussionist John Hassan experiments with Marrabenta and African jive
rhythms
Old school glitz and glamour diva Sophia Foster, one of S.A’s
sisters of song also joins the line-up. Another kind of diva,
ex-fashion stylist Lindiwe Suttle initiated her career as a vocalist
with Rus Nerwich and The Collective Imagination in 2008. Now Suttle has
returned from Berlin with a more electronic focus on her debut album
Kamikaze Art courtesy of engineer Dave Kutch whose previous work
includes Al Green and Alicia Keys.

Zakes Bantwini has himself
confessed that his live performance launches a wilder alter-ego,
“Zakhele Madida (his real name) is actually a shy guy and a bit
reserved. When I ‘m on stage I am in a trance and the Zakes Bantwini
character takes over. He just comes out.” Bantwini is one of the few
South African artists who has managed to cross the boundary of
afro-house and live jazz. Radio personality, Idols judge, singer and
songwriter Unathi will also perform at the festival. Fans can expect new
material from Unathi since she recently released her third album With
Love.

As previously announced, the rest of the line-up for 2012 is
completed by the following artists: James Ingram (USA), Dave Koz with
special guest Patti Austin (USA), Mike Stern with special guest Dave
Weckl (USA), Virtual Jazz Reality (SA), Brubecks play Brubeck (USA/SA),
Ron Carter, Donald Harrison and Lenny White (USA), Andre Petersen
Quintet (SA), Atmosphere (USA), Jean Grae (USA), Goodluck (SA), Zamajobe
(SA), Zahara (SA), The Jason Reolon Trio (SA), David Sanchez with
special guest Lionel Loueke (Puerto Rico/Benin), The Moreira Project
(Mozambique) and Alexander Sinton High School Jazz Band (SA).

A
massive affirmation regarding the artistic and cultural importance of
the jazz festival was President Jacob Zuma’s mention of the festival in
his State of the Nation speech last year. Over 34 000 tourists are
attracted to the festival annually. Mr Paul Mashatile, Minister of Arts
and Culture comments on the relevance of the festival, “The Cape Town
International Jazz Festival does not only expose audiences to a wide
array of the best international and local music, the event also
contributes to providing a larger skills base in the creative sector
which helps in sustaining the creative industries in South Africa.”
Aside from contributing a significant amount to South Africa’s economic
and tourism industries, young journalists are nurtured in the annual
Arts Journalism Program led by jazz critic Gwen Ansell.

Developmental
programs where students and professionals are paired is key to the
festivals outlook. Each year the festival provides a series of workshops
which run over eight days aimed at developing methods and transferring
skills in terms of music and business. Dr Ivan Meyer, Minister of
Cultural Affairs and Sport in the Western Cape comments, “Musical talent
is vital to the success of these kinds of events, and music development
programmes for the youth, such as those funded by the Western Cape
Government, are the perfect platform to grow and nurture talent.”

Celebrating
not only musical creativity, but visual creativity too, The Duotone
Photographic Exhibition is another annual fixture of the festival. Every
year it commemorates prolific jazz photography.

One of the most
exciting elements to the festival is the annual free Community Concert
which brings thousands together in the centre of Cape Town on Green
Market Square. This year the concert will take place on March 28th, the
Wednesday preceding the festival. The line-up is usually a teaser of
some of the local and international acts that will feature at the
festival.

The festival has over the years garnered huge
provincial support from the Western Cape. Minister Alan Winde, MEC for
Finance, Economic Development and Tourism for the Western Cape comments,
“The Western Cape Government is pleased to be associated with an event
of this calibre that draws artists from across the globe and we look
forward to yet another spectacular show.” Patricia De Lille, Executive
Mayor of Cape Town echoes this sentiment, “This musical celebration
epitomises what this administration aims to do in building an inclusive
city by bringing together people from diverse backgrounds throughout the
city and the rest of the country to enjoy the musical talents of local
artists and renowned international superstars. The City will continue to
support this festival to promote the heritage of jazz music and ensure
that it continues to attract large crowds.”

The gold sponsor for
the Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2012 is the Department of Arts
and Culture. Other sponsors include Provincial Government of the
Western Cape, The City of Cape Town, Cape Town Routes Unlimited, Oude
Meester, Hansa Pilsner, Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Cape
Town Partnership and the Western Cape Education Department.

Tickets
for the festival are R400 for a single day pass and R550 for a two-day
weekend pass. As in previous years, there is an additional fee of R30
per act for performances at the Rosies stage.

Tickets are available at Computicket and Shoprite-Checkers stores.