The collaboration of musicians, artists educators and entrepreneurs between new and diverse locations will be the moving narrative for the unpacking of the divides created from a history of colonialism. Where is the talent that survives? What are the opportunities and engagements to thrive?
Collaborations between one location and another is always a mission to not only plant new seeds of co- operation, or to awaken the seeds that already exist, but a mission to heal the divides.
Through new experiences and new collaborations built on a profound legacy of humanity in co-operation, collaboration is always a catalyst for new music, new opportunities and new artists to help in the renewal of the community spirit and the common humanity we all share.
The focus of this work is the German practice of “Nachwuchsforderung” – the conscious policy and practice of transferring societal values, knowledge and skills to the next generation. Therefore the long-term vision of the musical collaborations and intervention is the construction of long-term and sustainable co-operations in music as a tool for musical and social harmony.
We dive directly into Johnny’s formative years as an acapella singer, a pianist, bassist here at home in Duncan Village (1945 – 1962). We revel in the vocal groups of Duncan Village, we journey through the young giants of Eastern Cape Jazz (Feza, Pukwana), we experience his bass mentorship through the Jazz Wizards all the way to his baptism into free jazz of the legends of Port Elisabeth, Cape Town and Dorkay House to the formation of South Africa’s first mixed band – the Blue Notes.
We journey through the arrival of the exiled Blue Notes in Europe, the famous Ronnie Scott’s encounters, the break away of Moholo and Dyani to Buenos Aires right up the maturity of Dyani – where he becomes a foremost composer and collaborator on the European jazz scene. It was the hunger of the South African musicians and their transformation of the oppression, suppression and depression of exile into musical community that birthed the free-jazz movement in Europe.
After Dyani’s prophetic chants, “Think, it is good for you,” he dies at the inaugural Jazz Against Apartheid in Berlin 1986. Juergen Leinhos and his organistaion Kultur im Ghetto continue the event building on the SA exiles and growing the movement to progressive European musicians, but always built on the social consciousness of skills transfer and musical freedom. The JAA Archive if this era is a complete archive of 25 years of exile history.
Kultur im Ghetto in Frankfurt, Germany partnered with Sausage Films to bring the legacy of Dyani home to Buffalo City in 2022. 36 years in the making. This concert was a first for South Africa, the Eastern Cape and his home community of Duncan Village and raised the important questions – are the future generations ready to hear he musical heroes of their past and what and what knowledge and wisdom will exposure to these cultural roots bring forward?
MULTI-DISCIPLINED APPROACH: Jazz in South Africa is a musical form that has come to represent Freedom. With music education and collaboration at the centre jazz music impacts the entire creative economy from film to poetry, dance, literature, entrepreneurism and legacy.
PROJECT DELIVERY : HYBRID
Physical Collaborations:The collaboration of musicians, artists, educators and entrepreneurs between these locations will be the moving narrative for the unpacking of the divides created from a history of colonialism and finding the path to unity.
Online Dialogues: Partner with universities, offering jazz, culture and development courses in Eastern Cape and Germany. So that the mentorship may bring an intellectual exchange around music and build towards a syllabus-based direction.
NEW TECHNOLOGY: The monitoring and evaluation to date has indicated that the reach and Impact of the collaboration for participants and students is growing through a quality over quantity approach. By placing the quality of each student, cultural practice and community centre at the forefront of the engagement specific needs can be met. These needs include community centres networks and databases whereby accesses to learning resources and opportunities can be shared. Online profiles for students whereby students may create and lead engagements. Profile and access for all artists across mixed disciplines in the creative fields including fine art, poetry, photography, entrepreneurism and film. And a celebration of music as the mother of all arts and therefore the totally integrative musical whole.
LEGACY & ARCHIVES: One of the greatest risks is of the legacies of music and heritage in South Africa and the East London area in specific disappearing all together. Such a risk needs to be actively engaged head-on through a combination of resource creation, archiving, back-up and resource delivery. Resources include general knowledge, history and heritage narratives, sheet music, scores and arrangements, documentation, and audio-visual resources and releases. Oral history testimonials of the holistic involvement of a cultural movement most specifically the women, the wives, the care-givers, the facilitators, the educators who are often behind the scenes are brought to the forefront.
2 Comments
Lyda
I abs᧐lutely love y᧐ur blog.. Excellent
colors & theme. Did you make this websіte yourself?
Please reply back as I’m hoping tо create my own bⅼog and would like to fіnd
out where you got this from or exactly what the thｅme is called.
Many tһanks!
26mfj
Thank you Lyda : We are using the Prider template from themeforest. The content photography, archive and intention behind the blog is 36 years in the making and includes the input of wonderful jazz musicians, poets and cultural activists from all over the world. “Content is king” – thank you to these wonderful content creators …