Tribute paid to jazz pioneers
THE DUOTONE Exhibition, an annual photographic exhibition that has been part of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival since its inception, is on at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. It pays tribute to the country’s jazz pioneers who since the early ’60s paved the way for others.
The series of photographs by visual artist Zamani Makhanya and photographer Rafs Mayet, among others, along with the writings of former Cape Town journalist Warren Ludski, tells the stories of jazz artists who witnessed South Africa’s transition, among them Jonathan Butler, Robbie Jansen, Zayn Adam and Winston “Mankunku” Ngozi.
Most of the photographs were taken at the Rainbow Restaurant and Jazz Club in Pinetown, near Durban. Now 34 years old, the club is one of the longest-running live music venues in the country.
“The Rainbow is sacred and holds a special place in the survival of jazz music. It is where people of all races used to gather for a night of music and dancing.
“It is the only place where all races mixed, while outside we were at war,” says Makhanya.
“That is what jazz music does, it brings people together. It has a way of speaking to people. The photographs reflect that connection,” he says.
Mayet was the first photographer to be invited to showcase his work at the jazz festival, then held at the Good Hope Centre, and is today curator of the Duotone Exhibition, a position he has held since 2004.
“The iconic photographs hold a rich history in jazz music which the current generation can learn from,” says Mayet.
Ludski now lives in Australia and writes a blog: Music Legends of Cape Town – Warren Ludski Talks to the Elders.
Some of these writings accompany photographs by a variety of lensmen.
The exhibition at the Duotone Gallery is on until tomorrow afternoon.