SA social distancing concert offers diverse line-up

Centre for Jazz and Popular Music in conjunction with iSupport Creative Business are presenting a weekly concert, featuring 3 artists who will present a 20-minute set each. The third edition of the new online concert series will take place tonight, Wednesday 22 April, with a diverse line-up featuring Musa Mashiane, McCoy Mrubata and Nosihe Zulu. 

There is a minimum charge to watch: once proof of payment is sent, viewers will receive a link to the concert. The full contribution of the audience will go straight to the artists in an effort to support and sustain South Africa’s beloved musicians through this testing time. 

The Artists 

One of South Africa’s favorite saxophone players, McCoy Mrubata presents unique material from his performance at The Chairman in Durban in May 2019. It is a vibrant performance with a repertoire consisting of old favorites and new songs.  Besides South African influences, Mrubata’s new material is full of songs with beats and rhythms from North- and West Africa.  

Born in Witbank, Mpumalanga – the same town and province that gave birth to the great Hugh Masekela – Musa Mashiane is following in these footsteps and winning the hearts of many music lovers with his phenomenal vocal renditions. At 33, his music oozes with maturity and sophistication. He blends influences of African music, abstract African, funk, and world. He pulls his inspiration from international singers like Victor Ntoni, Lokua Kanza Gerald Toto, Oumou Sangare, Steve Wonder, and Bobby McFerrin, but delivers it in a truly original African signature . 

Nosihe Zulu brings a mix of videos from different performances featuring some of her older works, but also brand new compositions that are featuring in her recently released raw footage experimental mixtape. The vocalist has grown in her artistic expressions to be an eclectic soulful power, interpreting and translating through songs and imagery. S 

Background 

Like many other performance spaces in the world, the Centre for Jazz and Popular and iSupport Creative Business had to suspend their weekly concerts due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the measures put in place to contain the virus. One of the consequences of the social distancing measures in place is that it effectively paralyzes the entertainment industry, both locally and abroad. Artists and various players in the sector are looking to technology and social media, which is remote in its very nature as a potential stop gap measure that could offer practitioners some financial recourse in the face of months of work that evaporated in a matter of days. 

Submissions 

Musicians can submit a video that is created especially for the concert, which is likely to be a solo performance or very small ensemble in this period of social distance. You can also submit previously recorded videos that are not widely available on the internet, and are part of your personal archive. 

Tickets 

Make weekly payment to: 

iSupport Music Business 

FNB 

62276064137  

Reference: your email address 

Send your POP to: zamat1@ukzn.ac.za 

And you will receive the link before 6pm on Wednesday.