Celebrating Africa

This year Africa Day arrived with a renewed sense of pride and hope for me. I have been immersed in two electives - African Non-fiction Literature and Public Culture. African literature focused mainly on South African books post-1994 and in many ways it was a gift of history far removed from the history that I had been taught at school in the 1970s. While it was painful to plough through the accounts of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, I was enlightened by the behind-the-scenes revelations of the negotiation process and the run up to the first democratic elections. I was entertained and motivated by stories of growing up in Kenya and Katlehong –  stories which give life to communities, breaking down stereotypes and mass-labelling of people to fit into neat little boxes.  And I will look at Johannesburg with new eyes after reading Portrait with Keys, the tribute by Ivan Vladislavic.

It was Noni Jabavu’s books, published in the early 1960s, which were a special treasure though. They are a portrait of black life at a time when Verwoerd was introducing his draconian laws.  She provides an insight into the traditions, tribal customs and family life from a personal point of view. She straddled two opposing worlds – her roots in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, and her life in England, where she had been sent as a child.  She shows how we can use writing to correct the perceptions of the past, to record the voices of the past and to help preserve the traditions which, in SA, the government attempted to wipe out. I was very fortunate to find both her books at Clarke's in Long Street. This bookshop, established in 1956, is worth a visit if you're looking for South African and African books.

The Public Culture course looked at curating positive images of Africa and South Africa, to challenge the colonial stereotypes which abound. We focused on visual images along the theme of play and were exposed to photographers, archives and exhibitions, both past and present. I had the opportunity to look at the notion of music as a tool of resistance, at how it played a role in uniting and strengthening the community and how it flourished and developed in spite of oppression. 

I was struck anew at how jazz can be seen as a metaphor for the melting pot which is South Africa. It has a truly South African identity shaped by many influences - music of the African people, the Malays who were brought here by the Dutch, the slaves who were part of orchestras on the farms; visiting minstrels from the US which set the scene for the still-popular coon carnival, the  rich choral traditions and so on. It seems ridiculous now that there were laws governing details like whether black and white musicians could play together on a stage or perform to a mixed audience.

 We have developed a rich culture of music, writing and art, and people with spirit and values. What is often overlooked is what African people are doing to help themselves, rather than sitting back and waiting for others to come and solve our problems. Yes, there are starving children and disease, much suffering and oppression in Africa, but this is not the only narrative.

Serendipitous Discoveries - Perugia, Italy

This photo is courtesy of Tripadvisor 

The fans came in all shapes and sizes – pink, white, black and yellow; old couples with bent backs, feet tapping out the rhythm; young families with toddlers running around and babies in prams. There were designer-clad yuppies rubbing shoulders with hippies and Rastafarians. It seems that jazz is quite the unifier. While people milled about, paused to rest on benches under trees with ice cold watermelon or on the stone steps of the cathedral, slice of pizza in hand, the music played on. Two stages were set up at either end of the town and free concerts played from lunch time to well past midnight. In between, musicians busked on street corners, and played in the restaurants and cafes.

Clowns juggled and made balloon animals to entertain children, an artist decorated the sidewalk with chalk, his mural depicting the many roads which led to the music, and vendors sold arts and crafts on tables set up along the main road. Shops stayed open till late into the night, the music lending a festive air to the shopping sprees.

We had happened upon the festival while trying to book hotels on our travels around Italy. Puzzled by how full it was in Perugia, we investigated and discovered that we were looking for accommodation during the annual Umbria Jazz Festival.  During the ten-day festival, musicians like Al Jarreau, Erykah Badu and Esperanza Spalding were performing along with Sting and Rita Marley. We were heading in the right direction!

Perugia is a medieval town in the Umbria region of Italy (“the gentler version of Tuscany”, it has been described). Etruscan ruins date back more than 2 000 years. The hilly town is surrounded by the old city wall. Narrow cobble-stoned streets weave through buildings so close they seem to lean over and reach out to each other, shutting out the harsh midday sun and providing a welcome relief.  Tiny old shops which have seen generations of owners and customers still do business, their walls pock-marked with history.

The Umbria Jazz festival has been running since 1973 and attracts followers from all over the world. We were unable to get tickets for the grand finale with Sting but that night when we returned to our room and flung the widows open wide to let the night air in, the strains of “An Englishman in New York” floated up the hill and into our room.

Perugia had been a serendipitous experience which stimulated all our senses. The 40^th anniversary of the festival seems like a good excuse for another visit!

Magic in the Music, for sure!

Gripsholms Castle

The imposing red-brick turreted Gripsholm Castle rises up beside the lake where it has stood for almost five hundred years. I am sure that the thick walls have withstood much and would have many stories to tell if they could. In recent times many performers have played within these walls, including the Swedish group, ABBA.  But I doubt whether they have been rocked by music like they were last Thursday when our young band from Cape Town burst into the jazzy rhythms from home.

After a more sedate start to the proceedings of the 11^th Annual Awards Ceremony of the World Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child, the seven teenagers took to the stage and ROCKED! They had hardly played the last note when the audience literally exploded into applause. I felt the first tears to prickle behind my eyes, I was so proud.

It is a long way from Delft on the Cape Flats to the picturesque town of Mariefred in Sweden. Golden yellow daffodils and crimson-red tulips bloom along the roadside and in pots in front of many doors. The castle stands on the edge of Lake Malaren. Beautiful parks and walks surround it. It is here that HM Queen Silvia of Sweden presides over the Awards, an award that she herself has called “a kind of Nobel Prize for Children”.

The ceremony is conducted in such a way that the very emotional stories of children’s rights activists and the experiences of the children themselves, is balanced by musical items by children. This year the children were from Brazil, Sweden and South Africa.

The Special Stars

The Cape Town band did us proud. Adelia, the pint-sized singer packed a mighty punch. Time after time they took to the stage to wow the audience. Every time they played they it seemed that they grew in confidence. They were clearly having such a good time that it was infectious.

Adelia signing autographs

Afterwards people flocked around them congratulating and hugging them. They appeared to be on such a high that I had difficulty gathering them for photographs. Everyone else wanted photographs and even a few autographs were requested.  At dinner, I was beset with questions about the group - everyone was talking about the energy with which they played, their confidence and their talent.

The next day I walked through the park to visit them in their hotel. I saw the (Portuguese-speaking) Brazilian children who had also played at the ceremony – they were humming a very familiar tune, occasionally I made out a few words. As I came closer I realised they were singing the Mafikizolo song, Hamba nawe... I think that sums up the impact our children made.

Visit World Children's Prize for more on the ceremony.

Magic in the Music

Right next to the Cape Town International Airport is a township known for its high crime rate, poverty, unemployment and controversial housing project. Curiously, it is named after one of the leading cities in Holland, well-known for its porcelain and famous painters. It is also known as one of the prettiest cities in Holland. The Delft that I visited this morning was anything but pretty. The wind swirled plastic bags around, people and dogs milled about on the streets, and informal traders tried to earn a living from their meagre stalls.

We found the grim-looking Voorbrug High School behind barbed-wired walls and tall gates. It looked safe enough, but I was wary – this was not on my usual route. We parked, wondering if we were in the right place as there was no other car about, but as we opened the doors the sounds of jazz beckoned. One of the classrooms is being used as a rehearsal room for seven teenagers who are about to embark on the journey of their lives. They have been chosen to perform at the Award ceremony for the WCPRC in Sweden at the Gripsholm Castle in front of Queen Silvia. None of them have ever been on a plane.

When I was asked if I knew of  a group who played anything jazzy to recommend for the WCPRC ceremony, the Delft Big Band immediately sprang to mind. I have been privileged to be in the audience on a few occasions when the band performed. The band is directed by Ian Smith who has been working with them for two years. Using hand-me-down instruments and a lot of passion and energy, Smith is giving these children something to aim for, to take them out of the cycle of gangs, drugs and poverty. I have written about the project in my blog on the Tenth Sekunjalo EduJazz concert. 

The seven teenagers have been chosen from this project. They are hard at work practising their repertoire of South African jazz and are promising to do us proud. I feel so privileged to have experienced the magic that is coming out of a township as bleak as Delft. As we left the school we watched an airplane come into land as another took off. Living next door to the third busiest airport in Africa, these children must see planes arrive and leave every few minutes. Next time they will be on one of them. 

The Tenth Sekunjalo EduJazz Concert

I don't think that there were many people with dry eyes as the concert hall at the Baxter Theatre in Rondebosch vibrated with the energy of jazz musicians, culminating in a poignant rendering of the national anthem. On Friday evening I was once again privileged to attend the Sekunjalo EduJazz Concert. The concert raises funds for learners from the poorest communities in the Western Cape and currently, 75 schools benefit from the initiative.

The money raised goes to bursaries and workshops, promoting and developing young musicians, encouraging the spread of music and culture and contributing to the alleviation of crime in our townships. The annual concert gives these young people the opportunity to perform on stage in front of an audience. The programme usually follows the format of the children playing during the first half, followed by a headline act in the second. 

One of the products of this initiative is the Delft Big Band from one of the poorest communities in the W. Cape with high unemployment and crime levels. Yet you would not know it to see and hear these young people, proudly making beautiful music with secondhand or borrowed instruments.

This year, we were treated to the sounds of Ifidyoli Strings (a Beau Soleil Project) and the EduJazz Collaboration featuring Alexander Sinton, and Heathfield High School and the EduJazz ensemble (made up of students from various schools). The headline act was provided by Jimmy Dludlu who is a South African Music Awards winner for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. He plays traditional and modern jazz, music from West and Central Africa and Latin America.

Jimmy Dludlu is a genius. With his pork pie hat and black-rimmed spectacles he cuts a stylish figure. He has an amazing stage presence and ability to engage the audience and had people dancing  in the aisles before long. At the end of his set he invited the young musicians up on to the stage to join him. Playing with Jimmy Dludlu on stage must be enough for these kids to build memories on, but when he actually gave his guitar to the kids to play a few bars, I had goosebumps. I have these new South Africa moments that I collect (things that would have been unthinkable pre-1994) and this definitely ranks high on the list. The emotion in the hall was palpable and it seemed like the most natural thing to lead into the anthem. 

Well done to Sekunjalo for walking the talk of empowerment. And we had fun doing it.