The Cape Town Jazz Safari

[chellie91]

would just like 2 say to FDInteractive u r a closed minded idiot that is of typical AMERICAN STANDARD. u dont think outside ur country and think u r the best in everything, lucky 4 u there is betta jazz artists in CAPE TOWN AND SOUTH AFRICA and of much betta variety than ur shitty boring jazz!

[funkatic]

ehh... it's not FDInteractive that is the idiot, it's unclebanana. Read again

[unclebanana]

This is about as traditional as the Harlem Globetrotters were to basketball when they were new.

[FDInteractive]

I'm not quite sure if you are serious about this. You're name suggests that you are some kind of comedian. Anyway, I will try to argue around your punch line: "There is only American jazz. Any other form of Jazz outside the US is a fake." This kind of "Island thinking" and cultural supremacy attitude is unfortunately the side of America that has dominated its world view and politics of the last decade.

[FDInteractive]

Fortunately, a new president may correct this view to what America really stands for: Openness. Openness in thought. Openness to let the world in. The latter has brought about art forms like Jazz, which is a hybrid of African rhythms and chants (yes, African!), brought to America through slaves from Africa, and European folk and classical music influences. Basically, if you would go back in time and erase these 2 influences, there would be no Jazz - and, no America.

[Andulela]

All the great Jazz musicians got ample inspiration and influence from places outside of America. As an example, in the 40s and 50s, from a "night in Tunisia" (Dizzy Gillespie) to "Sketches of Spain" (Miles Davis), American Jazz musicians were listening to and experimenting with Arabic tonalities or European classical composers such as Debussy or Rachmaninov.

[FDInteractive]

At no time the Jazz Safari video or the makers of the Jazz Safari claim that Jazz is an African concept. In fact the focus of the Cape Town Jazz Safari is Cape Town Jazz, which is a unique flavour of Jazz that evolved around influences of Traditional (khoi) music typical for the region, Cape Carnival Music (again influenced by American Minstrel music) and American Jazz. From the 1940s to today South African Jazz musicians are well connected world-wide.

[FDInteractive]

To get this right: Jazz musicians are ambassadors of cultural exchange. They were back then and the will always be. Do you really mean that Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Abdullah Ibrahim, Hotep Idris Galeta, Chris McGregor, Winston Mankunku Ngozi(...) are NO Jazz musicians? That they are fake?

[unclebanana]

It's the pretense that I really dislike. This is so-called 'Capetown jazz' is recent, and has no continuity with the origins of jazz, which are in the US. In order for a jazz group to have continuity with the institution of jazz, it has to be from the US, or be constituted of Americans.

[unclebanana]

Capetown has no jazz tradition. This a traveling show, which chose jazz as its subject. Jazz doesn't come from Capetown, so this is totally fake, I don't like it, and choose not to listen to this. This is totally contrived, and not authentic. I say keep jazz authentic, which means it needs to be American. If it doesn't come from America, it's not jazz--call it something else if it's not from the US.

[balaphuge]

What is the name of the instrument the guy is playing around the 4:52 mark? I couldn't understand him.

[Andulela]

It's called "mouth bow" or "uhadi". I get a lot of references stating that this is a traditional Xhosa instrument. However, the priciple is so archetypical that one can assume it was used by other tribes as well, e.g. the Khoi-San as mentioned by Hilton Schilder. The instrument has obviously derived from a hunting bow. Would be interesting to hear from other sources if you find any.

[danburnfin]

...really authentic... tourist...shameless postcolonialism.... i bet its really real... did he get his mba at the university of chicago?...

ungh..

[Andulela]

Strong words. What's behind it. Don't really get your point. Please elaborate.

[worotan]

If you like S African music, check out a CD I just got, called Township Jazz n Jive. Fantastic music from the 50s, very Duke Ellington-influenced, beautiful playing and sunshine vibes.

[basscasey]

lol I cant stand holiday tourists. if you want to live and learn travel do it your self style!

[basscasey]

Cape Town is an amazing place, I had a chance to jam with some of the jazzers there, they are too amazing!

[escadrielle]

found this by accident, This is really cool, i was trying to find some Johnny dyani and end up learning about the jazz scene is south africa how cool. if i ever find myself in cape town this will be the one thing i must do and see, hope this is a great success for you.