The Herald (South Africa)

Cape gig for Bay jazz diva

- Herald Reporter

FRESH from her selection as a Top Five finalist in the espYoungLe­gends music competitio­n, New Brighton’s multi-award-winning powerhouse vocalist Asanda Mqiki will be touring Cape Town this week. Multiple venues will host Mqiki and her band from Thursday to Sunday as she prepares to raise finance for her first ever solo studio album, which will be recorded at F# Music in the Mother City.

“I am so excited to be performing in Cape Town again! It’s been about a year and so much has happened and I can’t wait to share some of our new tracks with our fans, and introduce our music to even more Capetonian­s,” she said.

Mqiki will be performing with her quartet, featuring Thoba Goba on drums, Grant Allison on bass and Mthokozisi Mabuza on keys.

Like other Bay music legends before her – such as Feya Faku and Zolani Mahola – Mqiki comes from a strong choral tradition and her signature musical style brings together jazz, funk and soul with influences ranging from R&B to Kwaito. She has been described as “a true Afro-Soul revelation with an insane amount of control over her notes”.

Some of Mqiki's recent highlight shows include headlining the Cape Town Festival with Vicky Sampson and Jimmy Nevis, performing at the National Arts Festival, and playing for the first time with her full band at the Orbit in Johannesbu­rg, to a standing ovation.

Her “Vocal Explosion” jazz collaborat­ion with Maya Spector played to capacity houses at the Market Theatre and the Cape Town Fringe festival.

Before she went solo in 2013, Mqiki performed regularly with platinum-selling a cappella group The Soil, and is especially known for her collaborat­ion on the song Lizzy.

She was lead vocalist for the band Take Note, with whom she released two albums and performed at top SA festival Joy of Jazz.

The crowdfundi­ng campaign for Mqiki’s debut album has just launched on www.thundafund.com and more informatio­n is available there.

 ?? Picture: SIPHIWE MHLAMBA ?? JAZZING IT UP: Asanda Mqiki tours Cape Town this weekend
Picture: SIPHIWE MHLAMBA JAZZING IT UP: Asanda Mqiki tours Cape Town this weekend

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