Story of South African Jazz Workshops
1 April 2025 @ 2:00 am - 4 December 2025 @ 1:59 am
Regular story of South African Jazz workshops uplift the growth of music and performance capacity of every region or space through use of a multiplier effect.
• Creating the basis for an ongoing international cultural exchange around the compositions of exiled South African jazz musicians.
• Contributing to the living archive, and dynamic knowledge foundation for the cultural heritage and music of liberation of South African exiles, thereby furthering the cause of freedom, equality, social responsibility and humanity through Jazz.
• Shedding light on the immense importance and impact of jazz music as a liberating art form.
• Bridging the gaps between geography, history and economy, through this direct meetings between international and South African musicians to collaborate and grow together
- Production
An initiative such as this founded in 1986 returned to South Africa by Presidential Direction (Or Tambo award 2021) has longevity as a defining feature.
The potential to create full time jobs and growth business across the entire production line from concept to completion is good. The remaining 25% of the budget is project management. The project has benefited greatly from the in kind support of multiple businesses and experts around the world including Kultir-im-Ghetto Frankfurt, Kinetika Bloco London and Music and Heritage Education NPC in South Africa and has expanded inclusively.
- Composition
The author’s career path as a freelance journalist specialising in South African jazz and African music was modelled on Drum magazine and through his mentorship with Jim Bailey. afribeat.com was launched April 1st 2000 as a content portal for helping people tell their stories and making this information available as the tools to know-how, learning and self-growth.
Content for afribeat.com is developed out of the author’s career as a music creative since his first published articles as a columnist for Big Issue in 1999 and has continued contributing on South African jazz and African music for a variety of publications across all formats worldwide. This has included columns for Sawubona, Big Issue and Downbeat. Freelance contributions have been made to Sunday and Saturday Independent Newspapers, M & G, Expressions, Directions, Bejazzed, GQ, Cape Times, City Press Biophile, Mini International, Business Day, Pacific Magazine, Skylife, Downbeat, New Africa Magazine and others.
Story of SA Jazz Volume 3 is the final volume in this series on South African Jazz. It is envisaged to add to the existing research, resources and stories from the Eastern Cape jazz tradition, Women in jazz, and education.
This 3 Volume Series is a book, research and oral history project to document the beautiful Story of South African Jazz in an open, inclusive, flourishing and accessible way.
Volume One was launched in 2015 and Volume Two was launched in Durban and Johannesburg in December 2019. Experience the entertainment and enjoyment of food, fashion, freedom and literature. Volume Three is under preparation.
It was suggested that the research I have done over the last 20 years into the topic of SA Jazz and African music will be well served by the tools and resources available at a University.
What makes the Story of SA Jazz Book Series Unique?
The Wisdom of the Elders
Story of South African Jazz is a multi-generational conversation built on the wisdom of the elders. Living legends Barney Rachabane, Charlie Sayers, Peter Magubane, Tete Mbambisa and Madala Kunene feature strongly in the series. Let’s celebrate together.
The Challenge of a life-time
South African jazz music is a channel and a pathway to find the true colours of one’s unique self. The Story of South African Jazz is a handbook to playing through the changes of life.
Finding Oneself
The journey to learning the Story of SA Jazz is a journey to finding oneself. South Africa is a nurturing place for freedom of expression, particularly through music. Ground breaking collaborations from the ground up ignite the fire in any genuine seeker.
Uniquely South African
This is a South African style that is uniquely our own and has gone to the world. The Story of South African Jazz is compiled and written from a foundation of high quality published articles and is a thematic meeting point for many meaningful narratives.
Getting Wet :
The book series is born out of the live music scene, where mentorship is the key to learning. When the fire of self expression is burning, there is no greater friend than a musical instrument. It is the treasure map to the muse. The holistic keys to learning are shared through a caring mentorship approach.
Self expression is the link between research and performance. That the author has crossed the divide from audience to performer has opened up many possibilities for the Story of South African Jazz and has brought in all elements that contribute and sustain the industry from education to copywrite and the backstage economy.
International Appeal
South African jazz developed from traditional roots, through modern musical influences to form a unique sound. There are many master contributors to this musical evolution who have taken the message of South African jazz to the diverse people of the country and the world at large. SA jazz is a tool of communication.
Inter-generational Connection
“Jazz and Freedom go hand in hand.” The SA jazz family as it is situated all over the world has delighted in the passing on of this empowering and joyful musical expression to the children of the future.
Love
A love supreme is a universal principle. These books provide a unique combination of history and heritage through the voices of many artists, activists and musicians.
Educational Archive of Research
The Story of South African jazz is built on the website and content portal afribeat.com. a multi-media platform for African Jazz, uBuntu and Music education.
For a full list of interviews and articles : https://afribeat.com/depository
Educational Archive Deposit
The Story of South African jazz physical archive of interviews, images, recordings and articles is archived at the international library of African Music (ILAM).
Publishing of Volumes One and Two
Volume One was published 2015, Volume Two will be launched December 2019.
The vision of this three part book series is to provide a foundation for the recognition of South African Jazz as a unique and inclusive urban expression from this area of the world. The research is built on oral history and has become an inspiration and handbook to education, history and heritage.
Amazon authors link to published books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B01FFVG25K
Crowdfunding drive for release of Volume Two
To raise funds for release events in Durban and Johannesburg and to further push the profile of the supporters of Volume Two including BASA & ANFASA it was achieved through crowdfunding on Thundafund and support of Jazz Expressions. https://thundafund.com/project/sajazz
From 2017 – 2019 about two dozen articles appeared in Business Day Newspaper, African Independent, Mail and Guardian, Sawubona, Downbeat and Pacific on the topic of South African Jazz … here are some of the links :
https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/life/2017-11-09-one-mans-quest-for-freedom-after-freedom/
http://www.africanindy.com/chillout/africas-sax-men-cometh-8306005
http://www.africanindy.com/chillout/africas-grandest-gathering-8415331
https://www.africanindy.com/culture/the-prince-of-nigerian-jazz-10837136