Story of South African Jazz is built on a solid history of self-expression where finding oneself is the present for every era. Jazz is a music that defies categorisation and the chains of slavery. It is a musical form beyond fear and is like the vivid array of colours that are natures' true abundance. By preserving and restoring the living legacies of the great South African musicians there is a holistic interpretation and development of knowledge in action.
Story of South African Jazz is a clear reminder that nusic is the mother of all arts. A collection of lifetimes of learning, and experiencing music is shared through direct knowing by mentors and pioneering spirits.
Music, arts, politics, business and social work have that in common. There are great people in every walk of life. South Africa has had great leaders in politics and in music great composers, performers and educators. All over Africa, under every lightbulb there is story. These names are to inspire us to that story, which we achieve through humility, gratitude and spirituality. The path is straight. The great saxophonist Robbie Jansen said, “When am I going to be me?” When are we going to be we?
Story of South African Jazz is a holistic African arts education resource providing a broad perspective on the evolution and the revolution markers in our music. Perspectives includes heritage, historical legacy, myths, legends, the narratives on the evolution of S.A. music, the contact and continuing cross-pollination of ideas, styles, genres that has given our music this unique standing in Africa and in the world.
Due to popular demand, Story of South African Jazz Book Series is being transferred into audio-visual. The “iMbizo yamaKhono – Gathering of the Arts” has produced 23 multi-media music training modules based on the Story of South African Jazz Book Series.
“Jazz is a unifying language. It brings people together and provides the vocabulary to have a great musical dialogue. SA jazz is a transformative shift to sharing. It is uBuntu in action.” Struan Douglas
Story of South African Jazz is a living and dynamic resource that is made permanently available to education. A vast land united from ancient times hosts many different people and many different musical flavours. This resaerch, interviews, comments, anecdotes and collections cover the length and breadth of everything from Malombo Jazz to Xhosa Africa Cape Jazz to Sophiatown Shuffle, Mbaqanga Jazz etc. But it is all jazz, and South African Jazzbecause jazz menas freedom. And freedom is expressed through uBuntu and the friendships formed all over the world for this music.
From the main cities of Southern Africa, from coast to coast, to the rural areas and hinterlands - the musical soud vibration was a big mix up bonded by a spirit of togetherness and self actualisation. These works find their home in mentorship, education, libraries and all music rooms giving service is because reading and learning is the composer for our education system.The music learnings on offer are holistic and include general knowledge and technique on the improvisational quality of the music and the spiritual knowledge of the power of the present moment. Music whispers to us truths that lead us to beauty ... For the fruits to be tender and sweet, the roots are watered with love and joy.
Drawing on the lived experience and oral history of many masterful South African heroes, Archive Africa provides the longevity through a foundation for Africa, education and the unified source of music. South African jazz is a unique and all inclusive channel to freedom, easily accessible to all cultural centres, particularly in Kwa Zulu Natal, Eastern Cape, Mozambique and Gauteng, but not limited too. The selections include Commentaries, Tributes, Interviews, Photographs, articles, video ,live recordings, books, tutirials, training modules, sheet music, research and testimonies. With an independent directory of resources available online with hard copy data disks backed up in 4 university centres of music learning, Archive Africa provides an open source to open the minds and hearts of all researchers in the fields of music, arts activism, and liberation. It is important to note there are other existing archives that have built up some fantastic matetrial of old archive footage from era's before our birth as well as an ever evolving archive. It is important to build these networks and share our resources as best as possible to develop a coherent knowledge foundation of South Africa's arts culture and heritage landscape. The Story of South African Jazz Archive is engaged with ILAM (International Library of African Music) for a long-term and accessible sylabbus based resource.
South African Jazz fits into the International Examination Board Syllabus and Curriculum Assessment Policy. Including topics such as cross-over music, Kwaito, SA protest music, Afrikaans protest song, SA rock, SA Urban music (instrumentation, improvisation, rhythm, melody and harmony, marabi progression, characteristics, leading artists, and the socio-political context); Ingoma ebusuku styles including mbube and isicathamiya, early jazz including marabi, vocal jive jazz, kwela, jazz and mbaqanga. And, a coherent synthesis on music rights and all seven aspects of the music industry. Jazz and Freedom education lectures are not only an interpretation of an aspect of South Africa's jazz history, but they are also a clear documentation of the journey of the hero.
The three volume book series Story of South African Jazz is told through Five Distinct Rays of South African Jazz, following the distinct SA jazz timeline of 5 rays with access to both ancient and future.
First Ray Golden Era, 1950s:
Musicians Journalists Photographers, Shebeens, migrant labourers and a Pan African movement.
Second Ray Exile & Inxile: 1960s:
After Sharpeville 1960 the jazz scene is split. Exiles to Europe and the US, inxiles keep the fire burning at home.
Third Ray Liberation Era ,1976 – 1986:South African Jazz and the struggle becomes universal and unites with all forms as with Graceland.
World Music
Fourth Ray Freedom Generation, 1994 beyond 2000 builds on the past with an eye to the future a new integrated sound.
Fifth Ray Musical Co-Creation, 2020 brings a New South African Jazz and Identity Renaissance, where education, industry and musicology unite to project a 4IR approach into the 5th dimension – co-creation industry.
