Songs from Jazztown

The Department of Arts & Culture Touring Venture and The Market Theatre
Presents

Songs from Jazztown

Directed by James Ngcobo

The Market Theatre is venturing into new territories in celebration of the Eastern Cape’s jazz giants with a vibrant new jazz compilation concert that will be hosted in five key venues in the Eastern Cape.

The Touring Ventures programme is a work stream of the Department of Arts and Culture’s Mzansi Golden Economy strategy, which is designed to strengthen and grow the arts, culture and heritage sector. This programme has been established to ensure that existing exhibitions, fairs, shows and performances are supported to tour domestically and internationally.

The tours will cover remote areas of the country to provide marginalised audiences with access to the arts. The Touring Ventures initiative is also aimed at increasing audiences and the exposure that each production receives, which the department is confident will, in turn, increase the number of jobs, livelihoods, income and work that these performances, events and exhibitions create. It is also envisaged that the programme will enhance social cohesion and increase the up-skilling opportunities in the nation’s arts and culture communities.

In the year in which we celebrate 20 years of democracy, the year where we look at the collective journey that has brought us to where we are today – a country that belongs to the world – the Market Theatre decided to look for a project with a spirit that captures the tone, the challenge, the yearning that 2014 presents to us as South Africans.

SONGS FROM JAZZTOWN is a musical collage of tunes written by composers from the Eastern Cape. This is a region that produced songwriters who left behind an exceptional body of work; these composers were stylistically brave and their artistry was driven by the ancient sounds they grew up listening to, as well as by iconic jazz clubs like the Cotton Club and the compositions of greats such as Duke Ellington. It all added up to create a potent musical concoction delivered by the likes of Todd Matshikiza, Welcome Duru, Victor Ndlazilwana, Victor Ntoni, the Manhattan Brothers, the King’s Messengers and many more.

To pay homage to these jazz greats of the Eastern Cape, the Market Theatre is staging a concert version to celebrate the South African soundtrack they put together during those golden years.

Says director James Ngcobo: “We want to immerse ourselves in the beautifully haunting sounds they orchestrated and to say we remember them and their contribution to the South African songbook. In musical departments around the country, young people sit in lecture rooms and witness the brilliance of these composers, which is why we also want to give these young singers that we have cast a chance to sing the songs of yesteryear.

“We want to present to our audiences a work that echoes the sounds of their region, and that is why we decided to tour the Eastern Cape with this piece. We want to say to people of that region that even though we as the Market Theatre are physically in Gauteng, our vision is not bound to one area. We are making theatre in South Africa and that means we have a deep well that we drink from, which inspires us to forge new and exciting narratives,” Ngcobo adds.

Production information

Director James Ngcobo
Music Director Tshepo Mngoma
Set Designer Nadya Cohen
Lighting Design Thapelo Mokgosi
Costume Designer Nthabiseng Makone
Stage Manager Motla Makhate

Musicians/Actors:
Bubele Mgele, Bonginkosi Zulu, Ezbie Moilwa, Gugu Shezi, Happy Motha, Joel Zuma,
Johan Mthethwa, Linda Thobela, Nomfundo Dlamini and Nompumelelo Mayiyane

Season: 19 – 31 August 2014

Performance Dates and Times at the different centres:
OPERA HOUSE – PORT ELIZABETH
• Tuesday 19 August @ 19h00 – One Night Only

STEVE BIKO FOUNDATION – KING WILLIAMS TOWN
• Friday 22 August @ 19h00
• Saturday 23 August @ 19h00

EMTHONJENI ARTS – HAMBURG
• Tuesday 26 August @ 18h00
• Wednesday 27 August @ 18h00

MLUNGISI HAL – STUTTERHEIM
• Friday 29 August (Performance @ 18h00
• Saturday 30 August Performance @ 18h00

MIRIAM MAKEBA CENTRE – EAST LONDON
• Sunday 31 August @ 15h00

For further information, interviews and images, contact:
Lusanda Zokufa, Senior Publicist – The Market Theatre
011 832 1641 ext 123 or 072 367 7867
lusanda@markettheatre.co.za

Author: Lusanda Zokufa from The Market Theatre.
More Info link: https://www.markettheatre.co.za
Twitter: @MarketTheatre
Facebook: The Market Theatre Foundation
Images: For high res version/s of One image/s please contact: The Market Theatre.

Songs from Jazztown Poster Image Photo: Market Theatre

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