Cape jazz is a genre of jazz, similar to the popular music style known as marabi, though more improvisational in character, which is performed in the southern part of Africa. Where marabi is a piano jazz style, in the beginning this music grew (though not exclusively) from instruments that can be carried in a street parade, such as brass instruments, banjos, guitars and percussion instruments.
The Cape part of the name, refers to Cape Town, South Africa. The leading exponents of this style are pianist Abdullah Ibrahim and saxophonists the late Basil Coetzee and Robbie Jansen. These three, together with bassist Paul Michaels, drummer the late Monty Weber and sax man Morris Goldberg, recorded the seminal Cape Jazz song, “Mannenberg” in the early 1970s.
One of the main inspirations behind Cape Jazz comes from the folk songs sung by people descended from the former slave communities living in the Western Cape, known loosely as the Cape Coloured or Cape Malay people.
A street carnival parade or Mardi Gras (also called the Coon Carnival) is held each year peaking on the 2nd of January. This event is the culmination of months of musical and dance rehearsal and community-based competitions, by various mostly mix race folk, and was known as Tweede Nuwe Jaar (Afrikaans). The performers known as Klopse, borrowed the painted faces and bright consumes of the minstrel show style of New Orleans (now USA) and combined this with African and European music which was to be heard in the taverns and night clubs of the port city.
Some of this music is also more recently known as Goema, or Ghoema Jazz, referring to a particular wooden barrel shaped Asian style drum (also known in the Cape as a Ghomma) played by the revelers in the troupes in the aforementioned parade.
During Howzit-HongKong.com’s visit home in 2009, we were fortunate to attend the 60th birthday party of the late Cape Town saxophonist Robbie Jansen at the G-Spot venue in Epping (Cape Town). In conversation with the great man that evening, we arranged to return this year to record his take on the Cape Jazz story. Sadly, that will not happen as Robbie passed away late in 2010.
The Jansens: Robbie and Michael at the G-spot in 2009 (Pic: Mike Jansen)
Here are some of the pictures we took:
We are going to be referring the the terms “Cape Jazz” as well as “Ghoema” over the next few weeks, so without any further ado…. here’s that seminal Cape Town anthem:
The Victoria Harbour Sundowner sessions #22: Mannenberg
Over the next few Sundays, Howzit-HongKong.com will feature a YouTube clip of one (or more) of the musicians and their sounds who have influenced and shaped South African and specifically Cape Town music as part of what we like to call The Victoria Harbour Sundowner Sessions. I am fortunate to be living right next to one of the most stunning working harbours in the world… Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour. I often find myself staring across the Harbour at night, with the lights dimmed and one of my favourite musicians from home over the speakers. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do…
Errol Dyers is the ultimate creative artist. A musician, poet and playwright, the acclaimed guitar maestro is highly respected as a pioneer of what has today become known as Cape Jazz / Ghoema.
During his illustrious career, Dyers has performed, recorded and toured locally and internationally with many great artists such as, the late Basil Coetzee, Winston Mankunku, Abdullah Ibrahim, Robbie Jansen & Mccoy Mrubata to name but a few.
Dyers’ music is inspired and influenced by the rhythms & melodies of Cape Town where he was born as well as the people who live there. Dyers has a unique guitar style which maintains an acoustic and reminiscent ancestral sound that captures the guitar strumming of the century-old Cape traditional and folk music.
Errol Dyers & the late Ezra Ngcukana at the Standard Bank Jazz Fest (Pic: Gary Van Dyk)
His style can be described as Cape Jazz, and some of the songs on his debut album, ‘Sonesta’, incorporated songs that are almost a hundred years old and stem from the earliest strummings of the Cape people that have been passed down through the generations.
Howzit-HongKong.com will feature a YouTube clip of one South African music legend every Friday as part of what we like to call The Victoria Harbour Sundowner Sessions. I am fortunate to be living right next to one of the most stunning working harbours in the world… Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour. I often find myself staring across the Harbour at night, with the lights dimmed and one of my favourite musicians from home over the speakers. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do…
Today is Heritage Day in South Africa. Wikipedia defines it as follows:
Heritage Day, September 24, is a Public Holiday on which South Africans across the spectrum are encouraged to celebrate their cultural heritage and the diversity of their beliefs and traditions, in the wider context of a nation that belongs to all its people.
Here in my apartment in Hong Kong, as things go in Asia, my kids are swamped daily with studies and other school-related issues. However, as it is Heritage Day, I had them finish their homework early and right now, they are enjoying the David Kramer DVD called SongBook.
You may remember that David was part of the most dynamic and internationally recognised duo of David Kramer & Taliep Petersen. Together they produced the much-acclaimed musicals District Six and Ghoema, to name only two.
On a recent trip home, this DVD became one of my most cherished purchases. As a committed follower of Cape Town music (especially the unique genres known as Cape Jazz and Ghoema) it is one of a set of treasured items also because it helps me to explain to my kids, who basically grew up in Asia, where their forefathers came from what our culture is all about.
If you know anything about the Kramer/Petersen musicals, you will remember that it talks, through the music, about the people who arrived at the Dutch halfway station (as Cape Town was known back in the days) from as far afield as Malaysia/Java, Madagascar, Batavia, India and yes… even China. They know about these places because of the songs in the musical. In this unique way, SongBook is aiding the Missus and I to explain to our 2 little ones our equally unique cultural issues in a clearer and more fun way. What makes this task all the more easy is the fact that our kids naturally took to this kind of music like ducks to water. It is, after all… in their genes! Right now my 9-year old son is spraying furniture polish on the lounge tiles so that he “can jive better!” (his words, not mine)
On this Heritage Day, I can just say thank you to David Kramer and (even after your sad passing) Shukran to Taliep Petersen. Not only for making my job as an expatriate father so much easier, but also for what you have done to keep the Cape Town and by extension, the South African culture alive.
