Words & Music concert series took place at the
University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Jazz and Popular Music in November.
The concerts were recorded and the digital version of the gigs ares live
via the www.nationalartsfestival.co.za ticketing platform.
Zoe The Seed
Zoe is a jazz vocalist, music educator and performer.
Some of the most notable artists she has worked with include Ernest Dawkins,
Salim Washington, Themba Mkhize, Allou April, Africa Mkhize, Ernie Smith and Nduduzo Makhathini. She studied at the
University of KwaZulu - Natal and obtained
her bachelor’s degree in Jazz and popular music. She also holds a certificate in
education and is active in teaching
private lessons to aspiring vocalists like herself. Zoe The Seed has led her
band for six years, performing her music and covers for venues and festivals all over the country.
"I appreciate and acknowledge
the strides of women in leadership who have carried out change not only
through words but also in their
actions, like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Winnie Mandela, Sibongile Mazibuko,
Zozibini Tunzi etc., these .women have stood tall by addressing issues that
affect people's lives. I also have immense respect for the women who nourished
our souls with beautiful sounds and melodies
like Dorothy Masuka, Letta Mbuli, Mama Africa and Sibongile
Khumalo. We have carried every word, and every
sound and this will reflect in my
performance.” Says Zoe the Seed.
Neil
Gonsalves Trio
Neil Gonsalves is a composer, pianist,
bandleader and music educator who has toured the world with
his music. His latest album, Blessings and Blues is a trio recording that was released
in April, 2021. Neil employs a trio+ concept, bringing additional musicians into the ensemble as and when the music requires,
which is the case for this concert. Zoe and Thabo
are regular associates of the trio and the
ensemble last performed together before COVID. So, a celebratory concert with
feel-good melodies and grooves, and lyrics that tend to social commentary is in
store.
N’den
N’den is a musical duo
consisting of vocalist Thulile Zama and pianist
David Smith.
The Duo met in the early 2000s while studying music at
the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Their humble musical
beginning as a duo started with playing gigs in different restaurants and the corporate scene. Smith has always had
an undoubted passion for music and was a member of a very successful Jazz/Hip
Hop band, Big Idea, that made waves throughout the country.
Zama, distinguished by her dazzling voice, is the lead vocalist of the
successful all-female contemporary jazz band Heels Over Head (best contemporary
jazz nominees SAMA - 2011) (Yamaha Young Artist winners 2010). This versatile
vocalist is well-known in the jazz circuit and a
well-loved vocalist in Durban. Her talents have taken her to Hamburg and Berlin, Germany and New Orleans, USA.
About
These concerts are supported by Concerts SA Digital Mobility Fund.
Concerts SA is a live music project
that has impacted over 12 000 artists and 900
venues across southern Africa. However, some of the venues have shut down due
to the impact of COVID19 and subsequent
lockdowns. Aimed at supporting live music,
the Digital Mobility Fund finds its roots in the Concerts SA Music Mobility Fund. Initiated in 2013, with
funding support for the pilot project from the British Council, the Music Mobility Fund offers opportunities for
South African musicians to
undertake music tours across
southern Africa. Concerts SA opened the call for applications for the 2020
DIGITAL MOBILITY FUND in September 2020 and again
in April and October this year to
encourage ongoing' movement' in the locked-down music sector.
concert links
Zoe the Seed : https://nationalartsfestival.co.za/show/words-and-music-zoe-the-seed/?fbclid=IwAR3NkJklzHR3XAYPY793KHYC3befgBot-G4qbvhmy0m79F-qT-pbE4w1330
Neil Gonsalves: https://nationalartsfestival.co.za/show/words-and-music-neil-gonsalves-trio-2/?fbclid=IwAR1BpmQur48ooZZ_lCalMt4Ltuaq-JF82gQKrIc-cXfPGtJn5LHVXYc9y84
N’den : https://nationalartsfestival.co.za/show/words-and-music-nden/