CREDITS : Many friends of liberation and music have made this event possible. Kultur Im Ghetto Jürgen Leinhos and Elisabeth Ehrhorn of Kultur im Ghetto, Sausage Film Company Struan Douglas and Vusi Mchunu. Independent experts Professor Peggy Luswazi. Governance bodies – Eastern Cape Development Corporation, Buffalo City Metropolitan Tourism. German Embassy in Pretoria, South African Embassy in Berlin. An opportunity for thanks and celebration. This creative confluence continues to bring this profound cross-fertislisation into audience development, economic stimulus and education syllabus, particularly for the future generations.
Born in Duncan Village, East London 30 November 1945, Johnny Mbizo Dyani is perhaps one of the greatest unsung heroes of South African music and may have remained as such were it not for the efforts of Kultur im Ghetto founder Jürgen Leinhos.
For the 36 years since Dyani’s untimely death in Berlin, Leinhos has continued Dyani’s message of musical collaboration and activism through the hosting of 100 Jazz Against Apartheid concerts, in Europe and America. These concerts united and profiled the liberation movement whilst connecting to the progressive cultural activism of the Germans during this period through artistic collaborations between jazz musicians of South African origin in exile and their European counterparts as well as painters, poets, photographers, dancers and writers.
In 2021 President Cyril Ramaphosa bestowed the Order of the Companions of O.R. Tambo in silver on Leinhos for his commitment and determination for standing by the oppressed and fighting for their cause as an anti-apartheid activist.
This recognition opened the gateway to bring Dyani’s legacy and Jazz Against Apartheid home to its roots in the Eastern Cape. As Leinhos said in his acceptance speech, “Our concern was and is to save this art of exile from oblivion with the music of Johnny Dyani. In our project Jazz against Apartheid we therefore also see a key for the cultural memory of South Africa.”
NEW RESOURCES: New Learning opportunities and resources for music tuition across musical instruments of all categories including strings, percussion and brass, and performance in a group setting (collaboration); general knowledge tuition and student-lead content for shared awareness of the richness of the artistic heritage that has been cultivated over decades in Europe and especially in Germany.
ELDERLY MENTORS: This initiative takes teachings into the community where elder artists are empowered to share with younger artists and continue passing on the keys to the musical language of harmony to current and future generations.
ON-THE-JOB TRAINING: Professional skills development through access to international contributors and the contemporary influences from their own projects. Talented students may have further opportunity to apply for such tertiary education.
TARGET AUDIENCE: As an organisation founded by a person living with disabilities and in collaboration with Rural Development organisations in Eastern Cape Ilima Labantu and social development organisations in Germany, Kuturim Ghetto, the work is highly diverse, accessible and inclusive. The target audiences are therefore also diverse and varied, with a duel focus of providing upliftment for youth 18 – 35 as well as the elderly 70 +. Gala concerts in Gauteng and Eastern Cape meet a target audience of jazz lovers. Jazz is the lingua franca of South Africa and the music that unites people across age, race, ability, geography and belief. In the 30 years of democracy anniversary jazz represents freedom cultural activism and social development. Therefore the target audience is a cross-over of people with a passion for music and human rights ranging in age of 35 and upwards with an average age of 55.
1 Comment
Uli Wagner
Hallo!
In der FR von heute heißt es, dass es im Oktober 2024 Konzerte in Frankfurt geben werde. Ich finde dazu aber leider auf der Homepage nichts. Vielen Dank und freundliche Grüße!