Up close on Rosies Stage
Icon Abdullah Ibrahim included in stellar line-up for international jazz festival
MUSIC lovers can enjoy an intimate moment with their favourite artists at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF), as the line-up for the festival’s sought after Rosies Stage is announced.
The Rosies Stage live performances are available at R20 per performance, in addition to a CTIJF festival ticket, and allows festinos an exclusive opportunity to enjoy stars from the festival’s stellar line-up. The CTIJF will take place on March 27 and 28 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
Artists appearing on the Rosies Stage include Joel Ross (US), Abdullah Ibrahim (South Africa), Kwetu Trio featuring Aaron Rimbui, Herbie Tsoaeli and Ayanda Sikade (Kenya/ South Africa), Mandisi Dyantyis (South Africa), Elementaal (India/ South Africa) and Nduduzo Makhathini (South Africa) and more.
Ross, the most thrilling new vibraphonist in America, grew up in a quiet Chicago South Side neighbourhood, where he began playing drums at church from a young age. He and his twin brother progressed to school and multi-school bands, where Ross took up xylophone and later on vibraphone. Following training with the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet at the University of the Pacific, Ross went on to create bands ranging from quartets to large ensembles.
Kenyan-born Rimbui is a self-taught pianist, keyboardist, drummer, bandleader, producer, and composer. In 2017, Rimbui joined South African jazz icons Tsoaeli on bass and Sikade on drums to create the Kwetu Trio.
Ibrahim, one of South Africa’s most distinguished pianist and a world-respected master musician, has toured the world extensively for more than a quarter century. An icon of the South African resistance movement, his song Manenberg – Is Where It’s Happening became an unofficial national anthem for black South Africans under apartheid.
Port Elizabeth trumpeter and vocalist Dyantyis blends traditional gospel with new age Afro pop to create an award-winning sound for jazz lovers.
His album Somandla was nominated for Jazz Album of 2019 at the South African Music Awards.
Elementaal is a coming together of two of the most indomitable forces in world percussion today, with Indian musicians Ranjit Barot and Taufiq Qureshi.
Their performance at the festival will further explore the crossover elements of jazz and indigenous African and Indian sounds and features progressive pianist Kyle Shepherd as part of the band and India child prodigy and bamboo flautist Amith Nadiq.
KwaZulu-Natal jazz musician Makhathini was raised in a musical family, where his love for music began at an early age. He completed his Diploma in Jazz Piano in 2005, and a decade later was awarded the 2015 Standard Bank Young Artist Award.