The Story of South African Jazz Documentary Series presents an interpretation of an aspect of South Africa’s jazz history, as based on the three volume book series Story of South African Jazz by Struan Douglas.
A story told through Five Distinct Rays of South African Jazz, following the distinct SA jazz timeline of 5 rays with access to both ancient and future.
First Ray Golden Era, 1950s:
Musicians Journalists Photographers, Shebeens, migrant labourers and a Pan African movement.
Second Ray Exile & Inxile: 1960s:
After Sharpeville 1960 the jazz scene is split. Exiles to Europe and the US, inxiles keep the fire burning at home.
Third Ray Liberation Era ,1976 – 1986:South African Jazz and the struggle becomes universal and unites with all forms as with Graceland. World Music
Fourth Ray Freedom Generation, 1994 beyond 2000 builds on the past with an eye to the future a new integrated sound.
Fifth Ray Musical Co-Creation, 2020 brings a New South African Jazz and Identity Renaissance, where education, industry and musicology unite to project a 4IR approach into the 5th dimension – co-creation industry.
“Jazz is a unifying language. It brings people together and provides the vocabulary to have a great musical dialogue. SA jazz is a transformative shift to sharing. It is uBuntu in action.” Struan Douglas
The need for digital solutions has been met by the initial production of this Music Free-Learning VOD (Video on Demand) series. VOD is open source and always available. This allows the educational material to meet multiple needs and produce multiple results. Musical instruments of all categories including strings, percussion and brass are rehearsed for performance in a group setting (collaboration).
Each video in the series includes a researched and written script, a rehearsed presenter performance, a filmed presentation and written educational task-based learning material.
The work is highly innovative as it combines a multi-disciplinary approach to the production of this VOD series.
On-the-job training for youth jazz and culture learners to work on the Jazz Against Apartheid festival and Online conferencing offering skills transfer and building towards longer-term exchanges.