The Centre for Jazz
and Popular Music (CJPM) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) will host
Swedish pedagogue musician, composer Mr Stefan Johnsson, South African jazz
pianist and UKZN alumnus Mr Melvin Peters together with internationally
acclaimed bassist Mr Bob Sinicrope (USA) for their Mandela Centenary Concert.
The event will be held
on Wednesday 14 March at 6pm at the Jazz Centre on the Howard College Campus.
The visiting musicians
will be joined on stage by UKZN jazz students under the tutelage of lecturer Mr
Burton Naidoo. All performance pieces will be dedicated to Nelson Mandela.
The concert
will also feature a tribute piece titled A Heroe of our time, composed by
Johnsson in 2004. ‘I have always wanted to visit South Africa and have this
piece performed here. When the organisation ‘Star for life’ was visiting Sweden
last year I got to know about UKZN through the Swedish leaders.’
‘I was invited in
October and started planning this project. Almost 14 years later, my music
finally will be premiered on South African ground. Unfortunately, Mr Mandela is
not alive to attend my tribute to him, which was a vision I had during the
composing work, however it is still a great moment for me presenting this
tribute on South African ground,’ explained Johnsson.
His piece is written
for Choir soprano, alto, tenor,
bass
(SATB), horn section, piano, bass, percussion, which will be led by UKZN music
students. Poetry included in the composition is by Andrew Motion, Nasibu
Mvanukuzi, Kilian Mc Donell and Marianne Williamsen.
Bob Sinicrope and
Melvin Peters first worked together in 1998 when Melvin was in the USA on a
scholarship at Harvard University. Bob invited Melvin to join his band known as
the “World Leaders”. The band performed in Boston at the prestigious school,
Milton Academy, where Bob is currently the Director of Jazz Studies. For the
performance at UKZN, Bob Sinicrope and Melvin Peters will be joined by guest
trumpet player Stefan Johnsson as well as Salim Washington and Jeff Robinson,
both of whom are horn players who have lectured at UKZN. Bruce Baker, a Durban
stalwart, completes the line-up on drums.
According to Melvin
Peters, the programme will feature a wide variety of music, ranging from jazz
standards to arrangements of well-known tunes by Abdullah Ibrahim. “The audience
is in for a wonderful treat with this formidable international band performing
music that will definitely nourish your soul. I feel quite privileged to share
the stage with musicians of this calibre”.
Concert tickets are
priced R80 general entry // R50 pensioners // R25 students with a student card.
Doors open at 5.30pm // Performance: 6pm. For more information, contact Thulile
Zama : Zamat1@ukzn.ac.za or 0312603385
