JAZZ FOR RURAL ADVANCEMENT

“JAZZ FOR RURAL ADVANCEMENT”

Jazz is making a positive contribution to social development. JRA is a holistic platform for engagement for scholars, students, communities, audiences, professionals to exchange and grow together. Workshops and skills transfer inculcate an attitude of pride in cultural heritage and project a positive identity. Know-how and cultural exchanges help overcome the divisions created by the history of colonialism and clear the path to unity, visitor economy and emancipation.

A milestone on the pathway to the Government of National Unity formed at 30 years of Democracy in South Africa and 35 years since the Fall of the Berlin Wall is the role of music and specifically jazz in breaking all barriers to our social, political and developmental freedom.

JRA is annual Skills Transfer and New Resources Conference, Collaboration and Co-operation.  is an inspiring vehicle for dialogue, cultural memory, activism and influence. Built on a legacy of freedom through music and an international multi-cultural musical convergence the inititiave was founded in 1986 in Frankfurt by Eastern Cape composer Johnny Dyani and Frankfurt activist Jurgen Leinhos. Through the direction of OR Tambo Presidential award (2021) and support of former exiles in Germany Vusi Mchunu and Professor Peggy Luswazi, JAA returned to South Africa.

The musical convergence is a multiplier effect for jazz music with a sharing of techniques and narratives on approaches to making music, history and heritage, musical collaboration and composition.

JRA is built on 3 pillars, “Nachwuchsforderung” (transfer of societal values, knowledge and skills to the next generation); Documentation of Cultural Memory through New Resources and New Narratives; and Musical Collaboration Composition and Co-creation. It is a platform for a pool of musicians of all ages, forms and abilities through an innovative international co-operation and exchange for skills transfer and collaboration through digital dialogues, networking, conferencing, archiving and physical events. The collaboration is made possible through the support of Eastern Cape Development Corporation, Hessisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Forschung, Kunst und Kultur, German Embassy, Protestant Church and Buffalo City Tourism with proposals already made to Eastern Cape Sports Arts and Culture, the Ministry of Science and Cultural Affairs in Lower Saxony.

To date JAA has brought over 30 musicians from three continents together engaging communities, academies, universities, audiences in two provinces. Impact and reach has included empowering 200 students and 40 small business in creative and cultural economy practices. The programme has a wealth of archives, cultural memory and capacity building materials to draw on and is a springboard into “Imvuselelo” a restoration of the musical riches of Southern Africa.

Cultural Exchange and Music Programme 2024 – 2026
All activities are funding dependent and are built through the support of communities, academies, universities, audiences, private public benefit institutions, partnerships and benefactors. For opportunities to join the project as musical collaborator, showcase, present and co-create kindly contact Keanetse Fothoane    #togetherwecan