Jazz Against Apartheid – “Beyond exile” unites old fighters for elementary freedoms with new and future generations, thus bridging the gap between geography and history.

“Beyond exile” brings much needed awareness to the valiant work of South Africa’s cultural exiles such as Johnny Dyani, Dudu Pukwana, Chris McGregor, Makaya Ntshoko, Pinise Saul, Claude Deppa, and photographer Jürgen Schadeberg. Built around the timeless musical compositions of Johnny Dyani, “Beyond exile” is extending the 35 years of consistent musical performances to a collaboration with a sextet of dynamic rising stars of Eastern Cape Jazz, packed with talent and curiosity.

Jazz Against Apartheid is a profound initiative for cultural exchange offering young South African jazz musicians (in the workshops and community outreach programmes) the opportunity to engage with this supreme set of musicians from Germany, London, Canada and South African jazz exile history. 

To become familiar with a part of our own exile history aims in different directions. On the one hand, we want to make an essential aspect of the buried cultural heritage accessible to a young generation of professional jazz musicians who have grown up in the post-apartheid society. And also to make others aware with this “homecoming” of the richness of the artistic heritage that has been cultivated over decades in Europe and especially in Germany.

Because this exchange is not a one-way street, we also want to give the young jazz musicians in South Africa the opportunity to encounter the contemporary influences of Europe in this music, as they are embodied and audible in Jazz Against Apartheid.

The musical collaboration and confrontation between the highly experienced JAA apartheid veterans from Germany, London and Canada together with Eastern Cape stars, ranging in age from 19 – 85, offers tremendous surprise and excitement for and a musical spectacle for South African and German audiences.