McCoy, band rise above loadshedding gloom
Jazz great releases two new albums
Not even loadshedding could deter jazz enthusiasts from witnessing the legendary saxophonist McCoy Mrubata launching two albums at the Joburg Theatre in Braamfontein.
Loadshedding hit Mrubata right in the middle of the second song with Paul Hanmer on the piano, Bernice Boikanyo on drums and Nhlanhla Rhadebe on string bass. The band was accompanied by a string section of the violin family.
When MC Brenda Sesani apologised on behalf of the band, the jolly audience easily told her that they were prepared to wait.
After 30 minutes, the lights were back on and Mrubata and his band returned to the stage and delivered an uplifting jazz performance.
The artist born in Langa, Cape Town, brought on stage vocalists such as Hlubi Khwebulana, Titi Luzipho and Croatian singer Ziza Muftic.
The three-hour set featured music from both new albums and was a perfect blend of striking pulses, vocal sensuality from vocalists and creative soloing.
He opened with First Green and also performed songs such as Ziphi which featured Muftic, Khumbulekhaya, Body Language and Thule which both featured Luzipho, Women of Africa, Zodwa Wam featuring
Khwebulana, Tunisia and Likhon’ithemba.
Speaking to Time Out after the performance, the softspoken legend says when he was not performing because of lockdown he channelled his energy into composing music and exploring his sound.
Among his explorations was adding strings in his music which enhances his sound.
The fruits of lockdown were two studio albums, Quiet Please and Strings Attached Project: First Green.
“As I have grown older, I wanted to explore music and do something different; I decided to add strings into the music. The bigger plan is to perform with a full orchestra. I know that exercise will be expensive, I’ve been laying the foundations for this for some time.
“There was lots of pre-production work, as far back as 2016. But it wasn’t until 2018 that Mvuzo Dimba, hooked me up with string players from Daveyton on the East Rand.
“I have featured the song First Green which is written by Swedish vocalist Eva. I met her through my friend Paul Hanmer and when she left South Africa, she left a mini-disc for me. She had written a song for me about spring in Sweden and I loved it. But I could not use it then and last year I decided to include it.”
In Strings Attached Project: First Green, Mrubata also pays tribute to people who have contributed to the artists we see today.
He honours Max Dayimani, a drummer from Cape Town.
The Strings Attached Project: First Green is completed with a song dedicated to his wife Zodwa Mrubata.
They have four children together.
“How the song happened, we were in my studio with Hlubi. Hlubi said I have never heard you dedicating a song to your wife. From there he just belted the lyrics and a song happened like that. And my wife loves the song that she blushes when it is playing.”
The 63-year-old jazz ace is well-known for his versatility and freshness of sound.
For decades, he used the sax and flute as a means of importing the sounds and energies from soulful hymns to marabi and township jive.
In Quiet Please, he exhibits his versatility, maturity and clarity of vision.
A quick glance at Mrubata’s CD track listing tells a music consumer that the songs were composed during lockdown.
Mrubata has songs such as Family Meeting, which is synonymous with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s addresses to the nation during the pandemic. Ndlela Ntle is a tribute song to those who died due to Covid-19.
“I have been composing music during lockdown. I guess it gave me time to focus on my music since I was not performing. It was difficult because most people that I work with were not around me. I had to use technology to get other people to be involved in these two projects. We would share music files which is something that compromises your quality.
“I had to reflect what has been happening because sometimes there’s more talk than action across the board, in music and in politics. For example, after the flames of the July riots erupted it was only three days later that Bheki Cele emerges to address people with his beautiful hat.”
Mrubata grew up with the sounds of African music around him. Soulful hymns of the Zion Church, the chants and rhythms of traditional healers and the brassy jive of the Merry Macs band who rehearsed opposite his home.
When school became impossible following the aftermath of the 1976 uprising, Mrubata then playing flute studied informally under Langa greats like Madoda Gxabeka, Winston Ngozi, the Ngcukanas, Ezra and Duke, Blackie Tempi and Robert Sithole.
He has released more than 10 albums under Brasskap Sessions, McCoy Mrubata Quartet and as McCoy.