Drummer Bernice “The Groove Master” Boikanyo at Centre for Jazz and Popular Music, Wednesday 02 May 2018 at 18:00.
For this performance drummer Boikanyo will be accompanied by Lungelo Ngcobo on keys and Qhubekani Mthethwa on bass guitar.
“I will be playing songs from my debut album "MY SOUL", which has lots of groovy compositions and immense arrangements that will keep the audience tapping their feet. I will also be introducing some of the latest tunes from my next album, which resonates the love and affection for many styles/genres of music that have influenced me over the years, as jazz is not the only genre that influences me. Furthermore we will be revisiting some of the great South African standards that have paved the path to make South African jazz to be on the map of the world. We promise our audience a great listening, love and dancing pleasure." says Boikanyo.
Born in Naledi, Soweto, from a musical family, Bernice Boikanyo grew up believing that “music is something I’ve been living on even before I was conceived”. On his mother’s side, his great-grandfather was a trumpet player and choir leader, his grandfather was a guitar player, and his two uncles were also musicians.
At a young age Bernice started crafting his own drums, boring holes into 5-litre paint tins, around which he stretched tyre tubes to make and explore different tones, despite this he took on the bass and guitar into his teenage years, this early passion for the beat, only later unfolded and made a return.
In the early 90’s Bernice studied music – starting at CAMS, then at the well-known FUBA music centre and finally at Soweto’s music and arts academy, FUNDA. For the first four years, he focussed on the piano as a fundamental basis for making music, then in 1993, when he heard one of his part-time teachers, play the drums, Bernice realised that drums were still his thing.
Kicking off his professional career, he was soon spotted by top artists such as McCoy Mrubata, who encouraged him to practise, saying that “one day you will play with me!” He subsequently honoured this invitation, and performed and recorded with the legendary saxophonist, a version of Missing You (one of the tracks on his debut album My Soul). Bernice has since worked around the globe with an impressive array of artists, including Caiphus Semenya and Letta Mbulu, Jimmy Dludlu, Ringo, Pops Mohamed, Tutty Moreno and Roy Hargrove. He recently returned from a tour of East Africa supported by the Concerts SA Music Mobility Fund.
Join Boikanyo as he plays from the heart and the soul music from his debut album My Soul at The Centre for Jazz and Popular music (CJPM), Level 2, Shepstone Building at UKZN Howard College Campus on Wednesday 02 May 2018 at 18h00. Doors open at 17h30pm show starts at 18h00. R80 for general admission // R50 pensioners // R25 for students. Please contact Thuli on 031 2603385 or email Zamat1@ukzn.ac.za for more details
