Music is sounding a strong note at this year’s inaugural Cape Town Fringe festival! Audiences will have the opportunity to tune into a wide array of genres and styles between now and 5 October.
The lineup ranges from the freshest of homegrown jazz to acoustic folk, indie rock/pop, classical, world instrumental and counter-Balkan, with live shows happening every day and night, across a mix of downtown venues, from The Dragon Room to St Georges Cathedral. For map of venues click here.
Because it’s a working city fest, numerous performances have been scheduled to take place at lunchtime, starting at 1.05pm and ending just before 2pm, giving people enough to time to dash back to the office or onwards into the afternoon – and these include music. The lunchtime music lineup features gigs by the mesmerising instrumental duo Steve Newman and Ashish Joshi, Contra-Balkan, Hosh-Klezmer and Parisian-peepshow-inspired triumvirate The Phax Trio, and acoustic guitar maestro Philip Malan.
And, of course, there’ll be no shortage of atmospheric nocturnal gigs for those who prefer to be taken by the spell of music after sunset.
But where to start? Which shows to see? Who better to tune directly into the moment’s headline than two of Cape Town’s boldest and most gifted drummers?
ROSS CAMPBELL has been playing drums professionally since the age of 16 for bands such as Fetish, Urban Creep, Celtic Rumours, Farryl Purkiss, Benguela and Simon & the Bande A Part.
Guy Buttery
26 – 28 September & 3 and 4 October, The German Club; 30 September & 1, 4 and 5 October, The Crypt.
Guy is the guy – he just keeps getting better! I have watched him develop from serious guitar wizard upstart into a musician whose fine compositions move me emotionally. His effortless fluidity really has taken on some magical charm. He’s also funny. Not to be missed.
Steve Newman and Ashish Joshi
28 and 30 September, The Crypt; 29 September and 2–5 October, The German Club.
Steve Newman’s always had this way of sitting deep in the heart of expression, pulling melodic beauty out of thin air. It’s his killer rhythm that really sends these pieces into the stratosphere however, and if you’re going to combine that with a mean tabla player like Ashish Joshi, I would want to be sitting in the front row.
Marcus Wyatt & Language 12 – Maji Maji [In the Land of Milk and Honey]
1 and 3 October, The Dragon Room; 2 October, The Crypt.
In the years I spent working for a record company, I had the honour of trying to sell many underwhelming, middle-of-the-Mannenberg-road jazz albums. Marcus Wyatt’s Unofficial Language was a breath of fresh air. A beautiful player and composer, who feels, cares and connects with the music he is sharing. I have plenty of time for this guy – so should you.
NIKLAS ZIMMER is an art photographer, scholar, curator and drummer. After curating the VIDEOart! programme of this year’s Joburg Fringe, he will soon be exhibiting new photographic works of his own at Gallery YoungBlood during the CT Month of Photography.
Homebru
1 to 4 October, City Hall Auditorium.
The last time I heard Dizu Plaatjies perform was at this year’s Edge of Wrong festival at Straight No Chaser in town. I felt very moved and inspired by his graceful ability to respond to any musical setting, and I mean ANY: at some point during the three days he was performing alongside Berlin-based noise punk vocalist Joke Lanz – it was brilliant! While you may read “marimba band” and think “tourist attraction”, I somehow don’t think that will be the experience at all.
I’m looking forward to hearing a contemporary tribute to the South African recording artists from the late ’60s to the present (The Flames, The Invaders, Brenda Fassie etc). I also think it will be very good to see the new garde of young performers who have graduated from the Applauz training programme 2004 – 2012. They are the future of our musical landscape – how exciting to welcome them onto the scene at Cape Town City Hall.
Steve Newman and Ashish Joshi
29 September; 2 to 4 October, The German Club.
Generally, I am not that interested when I read about so-called “world music”, but since hearing Derek Gripper and Udai Mazumdar perform on guitar and tabla at SABC Studios a few years ago, I became convinced that this is a very compelling combination of instruments and musical traditions. I have enjoyed listening to Steve Newman’s percussive guitar compositions ever since I migrated to South Africa in 1994. It will be great to see him live again, particularly together with multi-instrumentalist and multi-stylist Ashish Joshi… at the German Club, nogal – that’s sure to be a surreal ambience, and the beer will be good.
Other shows on the Fringe music lineup are:
Afro Fiesta
26–27 September, The Crypt.
Just back from a successful eight-week tour of the US and Europe with Playing for Change, their upbeat sound mixes Roots Reggae, Makossa, and Congolese rumba.
Amanda Tiffin Trio
30 September, The Crypt.
One of Cape Town’s best loved vocalist/pianists, Tiffin has appeared in London with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and regularly tours the Asian jazz circuit.
Borders & Beyond
30 September & 1 October, The Dragon Room.
Reminiscent of old-style epic movie soundtracks, Borders & Beyond shows off every aspect of Luna Paige’s sultry and beautifully textured voice.
Erika Lundi Trio
25 September, The Crypt.
Jazz standards and more from this winning Cape Jazz Trio; legendary guitar maestro Alvin Dyers, vocalist Erica Lundi and bassist Charles Lazar.
Gary Thomas
26–30 September & 1 and 3 October, The Dragon Room.
Critically acclaimed guitarist/singer who has toured across Spain, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic and Turkey. ‘A virtuoso display of mastery.’ Rolling Stone
Herbie Tsoaeli’s African Dream Quartet
3 October, City Hall Auditorium.
The celebrated Nyanga-East-born jazz bassist returns to the Mother City for one knock-out concert at the City Hall. Not to be missed! Tsoaeli took centre stage with his long-awaited debut album, African Time, in 2013, scooping the South African Music Award for Best Jazz Album.
Jazz Vespers
28 September, St George’s Cathedral.
A monthly happening at the Cathedral, the Jazz Vespers add some spirited music to the evening prayer service.
K A H N
4 October, City Hall Auditorium.
After 12 years of fronting South African rock/pop band The Parlotones, Kahn Morbee’s once-off solo performance at the City Hall follows the launch of his first full-length studio album, The Light Palace, produced by Brendan Jury.
Monique Hellenberg Quartet
1 October, The Crypt.
Sultry jazz vocalist Monique Hellenberg performs regularly with Breakfast Included and the popular house-music duo, Goldfish. A graduate of UCT Music School, she has also studied at the Cuban Music Summer School in Havana, Cuba.
The Phax Trio
30 September & 1, 3 and 4 October, The Crypt; 29 September and 3 October, The Dragon Room.
Sultry and hair-raising Contra-Balkan, Hosh-Klezmer and Parisian-peepshow-inspired music from a powerful triumvirate – Eu(PH)onium and two s(AX)ophones – formed by the alumni principal players of the South African National Youth Orchestra, Shaun Acker, Andrea Fisher-Jeffes and Levi Alexander.
Philip Malan
2–3 October, The Crypt; 4–5 October, The German Club.
A fingerstyle guitarist like no other, Malan uses the whole of the guitar to conjure up magical melodies, harmonies and bass lines, all at the same time.
Saxit! Live
2–3 October, The Crypt.
A saxophone quartet in which each of the musicians share two common interests; love of playing the sax and performing in an ensemble without a traditional rhythm section, so that each player comes to convey their own sense of internal rhythm.
Sui Generis
3–4 October, The Crypt.
Led by Vaughn Fransch with vocals by Denay Willie, this genre-crossing jazz band mix it up with Classical, Dixie, Hard-Bop, Swing, Blues, Latin, Hip Hop, Funk, African and more…
Traditional Acapella Music
25, 26 and 28 September, The German Club.
Traditional acapella (isicathamiya) and initiation songs (amagwijo) from the Khayelitsha-based Zamanani Brothers Cultural Group, who released their first album, Ukuzingca Kwa Maafrica, in January this year.
MUSIC VENUE GUIDE
As central and convenient as possible, you’ll find our music venues at:
• St George’s Cathedral, 1 Wale Street, City Centre
• The Crypt, (St George’s Cathedral basement), 1 Wale Street, City Centre
• The German Club, Roodehoek Terrace, off Hope Street, Gardens
• The Dragon Room, Harrington Street, East City
• City Hall Auditorium, Cnr Buitenkant and Darling St, The Grand Parade
TO BOOK
• Online
• By phone: 086 000 2004
• By fax: 086 233 2122
• By email: boxoffice@capetownfringe.co.za
• In person: Fringe Box Office in the City Hall
