Jazz

Sipho Hotstix Mabuse

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Sipho Hotstix Mabuse

Party on the square, I was at the opening of the Sipho Hotstix Mabuse concert. Memorable show, high octane energy, we were dancing all night. The show also commemorated music from legends like Hugh Masekela, Brenda Fassie and Stimela. The band were Jazzing, having fun, trying out new material, like the music they played that was inspired by the forceful removals in Sophiatown. It was Jazzy and evoked a feeling of nostalgia. I enjoyed that we had different horns in the ensemble. Horns show different textures, feelings and emotions, they have the ability to be reflective and evoke feelings of sorrow and rue like Miles Davis and John Coltrane on “Kind of blues”. Horns can make you reminisce about simpler times or strife in difficult times, to be optimistic like “Move on up” by Curtis Mayfield. Another song I loved by Sipho and the band was “Welcome”, a song dedicated to then ANC President Oliver Tambo. Speaking of Presidents, we had two former head of states in attendance in Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe. VIP – partying with very important people. Sipho Mabuse has an amazing, talented family and they helped him with the program. His son Biko is an amazing vocalist and is proficient with the guitar, he performed a piece of mezmarrizing music that had the audience spellbound. Sipho’s daughter, Nqobile, is a talented vocalist and she performed “Weekend Special” by Brenda Fassie among other songs. His nephew performed original music that he composed with the helped of Biko titled “Amor” – it is heartfelt and beautiful. All the performances were great, they were Jazzin, having a lot of fun, feeling it from within. We also had a musician who flew all the way from Mauritius who played a stringed Indian instrument. He played it with so much mastery, it blended in with the bass, keyboard and tempo, it was Jazz music like you have never heard before. It was different, it was glorious. I have a weakness for the electric guitar, that didn’t change today, the performer was outstanding – everyone was outstanding! From the drums guy, percussions, bass, keyboard and piano and Sipho himself. Everything about the day was perfect, it started off with an encounter with Job Kubatsi (Ntate Maphikela), the star of the hit show “The Suit”, returning for a second season in February and ended off with Ntambo Rapatla – Her mother’s savage daughter. I was with Sam throughout and Bronwen delivered yet another defense-splitting pass. Music for the Gods, endorsed by President Thabo Mbeki and President Kgalema Motlanthe. It was a party, the auditorium was merry, smiles tattooed on faces, all seats were vacated because everyone was on their feet dancing and singing along to the music, people documenting the experience through their phones taking selfies, time flew. Nobody wanted it to end, it was an amazing show. Congratulations Sipho Hotstix Mabuse and the whole team and a deserved standing ovation.

Kyle Shepherd trio

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Kyle Shepherd trio

I was at the Wits Theatre for the launch of The Kyle Shepherd trio album. Unbelievable launch, musical intelligence, no wasted touch on the instrument. Every touch has a purpose. How you touch, how you grab, the duration, what you don’t do, all that has a purpose, it emits pitch and frequency. Don’t rush, play to your hearts content. Feel, communicate, speak your mind with music. Jazz music, feel the tempo, listen to the pulse, improvise, embody the glorious music. Music made for the Gods.Thank you for the invite Bridget. Always wanted to come to Wits so my first love, Performance arts led the way. The Wits Theatre is beautiful, absolutely gorgeous.

One of my favorite movies titled “Soul” by Pixar explores Jazz music, purpose and the flow state. The movie describes life as something you improvise, making up things along the way, breaking rules to rewrite your own – Jazzing. Joe Gardner is a substitute music teacher of a high school when one day gets the opportunity of a lifetime to audition to play for the Dorethea Williams band – his dream job. Excited he goes to the audition and does extremely well. While playing the piano, we see his fingers taking control of him, it is automatic like stepping up a gear. Completely on free-flow, we see him close his eyes and let his fingers and the music do all the talking, we see the room disappear and it’s just him and the piano, the end-result is that he plays the most mezmarising solo of all time, leading to Dorethea to give him the job on the spot.

The movie describes the “Flow state” as a space between the physical and the spiritual realm. This is because when you are in flow, you are in your own world, a world where you dictate everything, time disappears and nothing matters except for the task you are engaged with. When you are in flow, you are possessed by a creative demon that takes over everything. When you are in flow state, God reigns. That’s exactly what happened with the show. The musicians where in their own world, a world where music reigns. They were totally in sync and they didn’t even have to look at each other, pitch, tone, rhythm, fingers and sound spoke. They even closed their eyes, the music was beating from within. To touch, feel, emphatize, understand the keys of the piano, caress slowly and stike forcebly when the moment demands, to string the double-bass with intention to induce a trance and create a rhythm, to beat on the drums like a celebration of the devils death. The album is pure euphoria, beautiful and timeless like how real art should be, reminded me of Charles Mingus “Devil Blues”, “Devil Woman” but without the organs and horns, it had a strong classical influence like Ludovico Einaudi and Yiruma.

Kyle Shepherd is on Piano, Shane Cooper on Bass and Jonno Sweeman on drums – they are the definition of mastery. They have been playing together since 2008, touring the world together and it shows. They have chemistry, they compliment each other and they have a mental telepathy. They were Jazzing, improvising, in complete flow, having the time of their lives. They love what they do, the music was unbelievable, it was beautiful. Congratulations Kyle Shepherd and the whole team and a deserved standing ovation.

21′ Bonnie & Clyde

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21′ Bonnie & Clyde

It was Sunday morning and I got a text from her saying she was coming over. She insists Sundays are for her, oh okay. It’s not a problem, I’ve got everything sorted. I am thinking Mary-Jane, good music, high energy, inspirational moments and the possibility of laying you down. I can roll us perfect cones. Bomb cone zol. The trick is to use the Rizzla the way it is, don’t cut it. It’s a perfect sheet, besides the manufacturers know what they are doing. Bob Marley will start off the Playlist. He will get you in a good mood. I want you to relax, this is not a sprint, it’s a marathon, always think the overhaul that’s where things blossom like a flower in spring. The beautiful colors shaded in particular hues. Let’s smoke, Marijuana is great. I commit myself to being an ambassador. After Bob, I will play whatever comes to my mind, for you are now suggestive, under my spell, whipped – you are my slave. Bob Marley and Chronic are the best combination in the world. He is such a legend. Even Steve Jobs used him on his comeback season on Apple and won, Made Apple what it is today, a Billionaire, he founded Pixar, released Toy Story at the start of his CEO tenure. The start of destiny, 1995. How can the board of Apple vote against Steve, he started the company, how can he be fired? The things that happen in this world are truly amazing, you can never be certain. Steve is a legend, a genius, an innovator. Someone who does things exceptionally. At age 25, his net worth was more than 100 million! Yes, that guy used Bob Marley in his comeback campaign. The slogon was “Think Different”. It is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen, creatives just connect the dots. What hype for Bob Marley. You see, I am a hype-man, another skill, I can make you feel good. It’s not that I am a hype-man as such, I am just really positive, I have always been, I have the spirit of a child and I view the world with novel eyes. I am a happy person. I reside in a bubble of pure positivity and if you can’t build to that, you don’t deserve my energy. I love life. Marijuana is good and it will make us feel good. And If I have to absolutely make sure, I will throw in “Black Messiah” by D’Angelo and the Vanguard. That will definitely tip the scale to my side. I win hands down. That’s the best and greatest music album of all time and forever until the end of time. Listen to it in FLAC and oh yea, you’re welcome. Would I dare add John Coltrane on the Playlist? No, unfortunately you are too different John. I can’t believe I would ommit Coltrane. And my reasoning being “You are too different, too creative, too great”. At least Steve added you to his “Think Different” campaign. But you see, I need to get laid, I am sure you understand. I am thinking more of Maxwell, Usher, Al Green, Ray Charles and Alicia Keys. I need to create the correct ambiance, a sultry mood so I can get close to her, so I can get her in my arms, whisper good things in her ears, kiss her. Imagine our conversations, the bonds and connections we will be generating. We will dance in the dark like sparklers. Ignite the scene. Light up. Then in that very moment, we will engage in something very normal in our universe. We are amazing things, life, we project our world with our thoughts. We are creators of life- we are Gods. Can we be greater than our role models? I think it’s possible but very hard. So you must really practice if you want to be like your role model, really focus, top-down stuff. Maybe one day we can try out Psychedelics. They will unlock our minds like a locksmith, alter our consciousness, stimulate the regions of the brain that have been inactive for a while and help us see the world for the first time. I am talking about Psilocybin Mushrooms and DMT. We can travel to South America and try out Ayahuasca. It will help us connect with spirits and give us visions for the future. We can experience NDE (Near Death Experience) and come out of it with a deep appreciation of life. Baby, we can be reborn, we can be like children again and look at Butterflys with awe, we can chase waterbubbles on the wet grass with our shoes off and laugh until the sun sets. We can be connected with the pulse of life, the world, the universe. Then we will sit up late and talk about dreams. We will talk about all our aspirations and goals. You can help me crystallize my thoughts so that they make sense to me. Make me feel good, be on my side, make me believe, make me want to push forward and excell. Be my woman, do things that will make me go crazy. Let’s let loose and have fun, you are my woman, you and I baby is all we ever need to conquer this world.

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