Jazz greats to converge in Plett
Jazz legends, local and international, are set to join forces in Plettenberg Bay this winter as part of the Plett Arts Festival.
This collaborative concert dubbed Pan African Calling will feature jazz greats Dave Reynolds, Pops Mohamed, Ronan Skillen and Charlton Daniels. The concert, which will also be the grand finale of the festival that runs from 25 June to 9 July, will also showcase Femi Koya and the Afrobeat Band.
“Their unique concert will combine the talents of diverse musicians to bring forth a distinctive combination of jazz and world influences which stretch from Africa to India and Australia in their instrumental origins,” says Plett Tourism spokesperson Patty Butterworth.
Award-winning musicians
Mohamed, from Johannesburg, is widely considered one of South Africa’s most versatile musicians.
Winner of an ACT Lifetime Achievement Award and with 38 albums under his belt, this traditional multi-instrumentalist plays the kora (African harp), mbira (thumb piano), Khoisan bow as well as a variety of percussion effects, and has worked extensively with the
Khoisan people of the Kalahari.
Master of the steelpan, Southern African Music Rights Organisation-award winning composer and acoustic guitarist Reynolds, who hails from Namibia, has worked globally with the likes of Steve Newman, Andy Narell and the late Hugh Masekela, and is a six-time SA Music Awards nominee.
Ireland-born Skillen’s fusion of tabla, percussion and didgeridoo has seen him perform in more than 15 countries, and alongside Rodriguez, Johnny Clegg and Freshly Ground.
Cape Town-based Daniels, when he’s not providing the integral bass backbone to Pan African Calling, can be found among the ranks of the swiftly rising jazz outfit Top Dog SA, or driving the Jonathan Butler band. Pan African Calling is a global call for people from all backgrounds to come together through music. The collaborative show will exhibit a unique musical offering which brings together each musician’s individual talents into a cumulative, deeply cultural jazz showcase.
Workshop to learn from greats
In addition to the concert, the four artists will be hosting the Skhulu’s Lounge Jazz Workshop, in collaboration with Plett Tourism. The two-hour cocreative workshop will allow participants to determine the direction it takes – providing a unique platform for participants to learn from the greats, through a series of group discussions and jam sessions.
Participants are invited to bring along their own instruments, should they have, but all are welcome, and take part in a unique sharing of knowledge, to develop further musical skills and to cultivate an interest in the unifying aspects of world music.
The concert is set to take place on 7 July at 20:00 at Central Beach. Tickets are R150 with a park-and-ride available from the Piesang Valley Hall.
The workshop is scheduled for the same day from 11:00 to 13:00 at the Piesang Valley Hall. Entrance is free to concert ticket holders or R50 at the door. This includes tea, coffee and light snacks.
A full programme and tickets can be obtained through www.pletttourism.com and Quicket.