The Pianist 'Offering"
By Estacio Valoi
24/03/2016
Cape Town
International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) is the flagship event for the leading
events management and production company espAfrika, which has staged and
produced several world-renowned events.
Affectionately
referred to as “Africa’s Grandest Gathering”, the Cape Town International Jazz
Festival (CTIJF) is the largest music event in sub-Saharan Africa. The
festival, now preparing for its 17th year, is an annual event famous for
delivering a star-studded line up. This proudly South African produced event is
hosted at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) each year on
the last weekend of March or the first weekend of April.
1,2 April the
festival annually boasts 5 stages with more than 40 artists performing over 2
nights. The programming - unique to the CTIJF is made up of a 50/50 split
between South African artists and international artists respectively. The
festival hosts in excess of 37, 000 music lovers over the 2 show days.
Thandi Ntuli
Pianist/Vocalist/Song-writer/Composer playing piano at the age of 4. Time passing
she became Award winner, Metro FM 'Best Urban Jazz' Nominee (2015), Mbokodo
Award 'Women in Jazz' Winner (2015). Since then she has been going and going. And
somehow I was about to blame her parents for taking her into the Jazz and about
to ending up in Berkley College years ago for her studies. And has she says
while smiling ‘I was offered a scholarship the Berkley in Boston but I turned
it down. Purely my choice.”
Rewards and awards,
EV- How is the
feeling of going back to some of those five stages?
TN- It’s really rewarding to be going
back as a band leader. I had played before with other bands but itis exciting
to be bringing my own music project to the festival.
EV-Did you decided
to become a Jazz pianist, vocal... were you born with it or the jazz got you on
the way?
TN- Jazz did find me on the way. I
just remember that all I wanted to do was write music and perform it, I just
didn't have the know-how on composing and for some reason I came to realize
that I must learn to improvise and that would help... I didn't always know I
would play jazz.
EV- Who is Thandi
Ntuli the woman, the musician and your philosophy of life?
TN- I am the daughter to two of the
most amazing parents, lastborn in a family where my siblings were my first role
models, musician (healer....first of myself) , lover of God, life, people,
great conversations...but also a bit of a loner. I'm a serial dreamer, an
aspiring full time traveler and a magnificent work in progress. My philosophy
in life is that I am here on this earth to serve it with my gifts and to
remember that I can always get better / do better.
EV- You claim that
one thing you like is to improvise. Even though is required a good technic to
be a good improvise and saw it in some of your songs. Some people such as the
past South African president Nelson Mandela got his freedom in 1994. What is
your story of freedom within the jazz world?
TN- I think Mandela got his freedom
long before he left prison, the kind of freedom that cannot be contained by
prison walls. And I think that is what Jazz does for me. It helps me process
parts of my human experience that are often otherwise hidden to me because of
the busyness of life. But really it has helped me emancipate myself from a lot
of self-inflicted oppression.
EV-I could mention
Nina Simone, Alice Coltrane, Diane Schuur, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Shirley Valerie
Horn, Eliane Elias Patrice Louise Geri Allen is an American composer, Diana
Jean Krall, Keiko Matsui, Lynne Arriale. What are your favorite contemporary
Jazz singers?
TN- I enjoy Gretchen Parlato a lot.
Locally we have some gems like Nono Nkoane, Siya Makuzeni, Gabisile Motuba, and
Spha Mdlalose. The list is endless.
EV- From the one
existent “salted fish” how do you end up cooking it with all the ingredients
-sing, compose and write your Jazz? What does guide you?
TN- I guess with one ingredient you
let yourself be guided by the process of cooking the fish, not relying on what
is there but on your own creativity. I am guided by The Source of my creativity
and really this is how it is improvising too. Let go and trust.
EV- For how many
nights and days have you been cooking your music, of course with all the
ingredients?
TN- I am always cooking, never really
satisfied, always refining. Even after a song has been recorded.
EV- About your
debut album entitled ‘offering’. What have you been offering ?Which one is your
favorite track-the tribute to your grandmother (Sangare, Umthandazo, Lonely
Heart, Contemplation, H.T, Uz'ubuye, The Offering, Love Remember, In Between
Spaces)?
TN- Its H.T. I used to call her that
as a nickname. Her name is Helen Thembekile and she is no longer alive but I
wrote the song 3 weeks before she passed.
EV- Various local
and international stages, including The Cape Town International Jazz Festival,
The Standard Bank Joy of Jazz, The Grahams town Youth Jazz Festival and The
Calabar International Jazz Festival. And now going back to CTIJF. Are you going
to take the Orbit , I mean Benjamin Jephta(Bass), Keenam Ahrends(Guitar),SPHELELO
Mazibuno(Drums) Marcus Wyatt(Trumpet/flugel horn) and Spha Mdlalose( vocal) are
they going to be on the stage with you?
TN- Yes they will.
EV- You did perform
with a such list of some of the best Jazz musicians , from Judith Sephuma, The
Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, Jimmy Dludlu, Thandiswa Mazwai, Nomsa Mazwai, Neo
Muyanga, Marcus Wyatt, Steve Dyer, Andile Yenana, Feya Faku, Sydney Mnisi,
Bheki Khoza, Themba Mkhize, Sibongile Mngoma, Swazi Dlamini, Franc Paco, Lex
Futshane, Tshepo Mngoma, Mike Campbell and the UCT Big Band, Umthwakazi, Spha
Mdlalose, Sandile Gontsana, Lana Crowster, Vuyo Sotashe, The Tribe of Benjamin
and Lwanda Gogwana Songbook. In this line up I see only two Jazz pianists,
Andile Yenana and Themba Mkhize. How was for you to perform with Neo Muyanga,
mixing up from story tell, piano …?
TN- Neo taught me so much, even
beyond the music. From his innovative style of arrangement to the insight he
shared with me on the industry, it was amazing to work with him and have him as
a mentor.
EV-Where are the
Jazz female pianist and what were the piano skills of noted jazz female musicians
who played jazz?
TN- They are there. Few but there.
One really amazing young pianist in South Africa is Lindi Ngonelo. I love the
dimension of Alice Coltrane's work; I'm also a huge fan of Gerry Allen. It’s an absolute classic and a
beautiful composition. One of my favorite by Thelonious Monk. There were many
other musicians including Jimmy Dludlu, Benjamin Jephta, Bokani Dyer, Sisonke Xonti
and many more. Old songs, new songs and a fabulous band.
EV-Focused on
modern Jazz. Anyway, the stones meet each other, but I’m still on the road
looking for the other. Why only modern Jazz and who are you main Jazz icons? Or
simple still looking for the other inside you. Who is the other?
TN- I just relate to modern jazz a
lot. Perhaps because it reflects the times. I love Brian Blade, Terrance
Blanchard, Lionel Loueke, Robert Glasper, Ambrose Akinmusire and many more.
EV-The African
music essence. Not only in terms of Jazz sound, African rhythms. So what is
new?
TN- Nothing is ever new in art; I
think we are just finding different ways of expressing what has always been
there.
EV-What comes into
your head when you are on stage?
TN- I always hope the musicians are
having a good time. It makes me feel nervous sometime.
EV-Looking to the
musicians you played with till now, maintaining the same concept what are you
trying to achieve and what can the audience expect from you on the night of
your performance in the CTIJF?
TN- The sky is the limit; I want to do
so many things. Well yes it can be very hard, especially if you don't know WHY
you are doing it. Once that has sorted itself out, everything else becomes
about the process.
EV-How do you see
the South Africa music industry, market today?
TN- It’s definitely growing and more and
more musicians are authentically striving to create music that does not have
American identity.
EV- For the
festival. What are you going to wear and your hair style?
TN- I am wearing something by South African
designer, watch this space!
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