Arts & Leisure Jazz
IT’S all about curation. Whenever any collection is assembled for display, what counts is the intention and execution of the assembler. How are the boundaries of the concept defined? What is included; what is left out? Are the objects rendered accessible both physically and intellectually?
When the collection theme is as big — and contentious — as “black music”, curation must be a daunting task. Yet that is precisely what curator Marc Benaiche and a big team of sponsors and resource people have attempted in the International Exhibition of Black Music, which is on display at Newtown’s Museum Africa until December 12. The team is largely francophone, though it includes SA’s Breakout Productions, and the exhibit is part of the French Season in SA.
The definition of “black music” is by no means self-evident. In a world where music of African and AfricanAmerican origin has influenced almost all modern popular genres, some are tempted to dismiss the racial label as irrelevant, because today “all music is black music”.
Conversely, others argue for a definition derived from amorphous qualities such as “soul”: a dangerous path leading to stereotyping and definition by exclusion.
The exhibition opts, sensibly, to define the field through elements of a shared history. Six rooms and more than 13 hours of music start with personalities (“The Legends”), track back to the African continent, then forward to the “Black Atlantic” (another ideological minefield) and eventually from the Americas through to the “Global Mix” of modern hybrid genres. An Android-powered personal tour guide allows the visitor to bring stories and sounds from a wide menu alive in each room.
Much of what’s on show works well. The technology solves the problem of accessibility and how to “exhibit” a live art such as music.
The narratives sometimes tell visitors little more than CD liner notes might, but it’s nice to hear it in the artists’ own words and illustrated with their music.
North and East Africa and the various branches of Latin music are particularly well served, with enough history to illuminate how the sounds grew (though, for SA, AmaZulu seems to be the only group with distinctive music). The Global Mix room is refreshingly quirky and open in its selections. Musical illustrations — some very rare, most drawn from international music company Mondomix’s extensive archives — are a joy throughout. And the interactive elements — compile your own playlist; create your own mix — could reform even the most stubborn believer that museums are boring.
But the level of the musical analysis is highly variable; some accounts of genres and lives seem derived from ethnomusicological texts and others from record company public-relations people — yet are presumably intended for the same audience. Only the most obvious points are made, and “legends” selected, for jazz — other genre fundis would possibly spot similar gaps in their fields.
Occasionally, more translation is needed: for example, the bleak corridor intended to symbolise the Middle Passage would work far better for most South Africans if the accompanying poem was not in French. Finally, some themes need either more context or less coverage. The room devoted to Sacred Rites and Rhythms (an immersion in video voudon and candomble ceremonies, animated by blowing on a candle flame) veers dangerously close to exoticising its subjects.
A visit costs R40 (except on Sundays, when it is free).
To get the best value from the ticket — and especially if accompanying younger visitors — make a plan (there’s a useful free leaflet) or you risk being swamped by relentless information in a rather claustrophobic immersive space.
VOICES rule in this week’s live performances. Jazz singer Tutu Puoane continues her home visit from Belgium, playing Cape Town’s Mahogany Room tonight and tomorrow (076 679-2697), and Melville’s Lucky Bean on Sunday (011 482-5572) with her trio.
On Friday in Cape Town, Long Street’s Slave Church (021 422-4168) hosts two very distinctive singers at 8pm: Zimbabwe’s Netsayi, who (rather like Thandiswa Mazwai) combines traditional vocals and modern soul sounds; and take-noprisoners improviser and trombonist Siya Makuzeni.