Icons to perform together at fest
TWO South African mavericks, legendary trumpeter and composer, Hugh Masekela, and chart-topping producer and rap-star, Riky Rick will perform together in Johannseburg on September 20 in the buildup to the Joy of Jazz festival later that month.
This cross-generational creative conversation and collaboration brings jazz and hip-hop together to unfold a new chapter in the history of South African music making.
The collaboration will see Riky Rick taking on some of Masekela’s most loved hits to re-imagine and remix them from his generational vantage point.
Masekela will have a go at some of Riky Rick’s hits when the pair meet on stage.
At the heart of the collaboration is the idea of the two iconic artists working to transcend genre and generational divides; this way displaying our perennial belief: jazz is closer than you think!
Hip-hop was born in New York where South African musicians like Masekela were creatively active as expatriate citizens in exile. Masekela’s hit records like Don’t Go Lose It Baby showed him up as more than a great jazz musician.
Released in 1984, just when hip-hop was finding its voice, Don’t Go Lose It Baby features a rap verse by Masekela “dropping bars” in the classic style of the age; comparable to pioneers like the Sugar Hill Gang.
Further, the exchange is about highlighting the depth palpable over the work of young creatives like Riky Rick who are constantly mining the gems of our heritage to find fresh songs of the future.
● The 20th annual Joy of Jazz festival runs in Johannesburg from September 28-30.