Friday 14 September
This performance by Ayanda Thango at The Jazzy Rainbow is part of the Concerts SA Venue Circuit which aims to foster a love and support for live music in our communities, as well as anchor small and medium sized venues in urban and rural Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.
Durban’s jazz lounge, The Jazzy Rainbow, in association with Concerts SA, launched its first straight jazz programme on the eve of Heritage Day in September 2016 and continues to follow up with the same concept. “#JazzyStraightAhead is about introducing regular, live, straight jazz concerts to our city in order to help keep the music alive,” says Oliver-Rene Haas.
Singer Ayanda Thango is originally from Newcastle KwaZulu-Natal, and now based in Durban. Evolving Artist is a title most fitting for this young lady. Thango was part of her school choirs from primary school right through high school, which made her realise and value the gift and appreciation of music. She has been part of small bands and big bands and has had the honour of working with world renounced conductors. She was also part of the Northern KwaZulu-Natal Youth Choir which toured the United Kingdom and received 1st place at the World Eisteddfod in Llangohlen, Wales. She also had the honour of performing at South Africa house in London, while she holds dear her performance of African Dream as the opening act for the Newcastle World Summit which took place in her hometown of Newcastle in 2010.
Having received classical voice training throughout high school, Thango decided to enrol for the Jazz programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal where she has since shared the stage with the likes of the Legendary Mbongeni Ngema, Professor Salim Washington, Amanda Tiffin and Zenzi Makeba.
In 2016 she was invited to take part in a show hosted by SABC’s Ukhozi Fm- celebrating youth in jazz and television- and was interviewed as a young, upcoming musician. She has performed at various festivals, such as The Jazz Expressions, Imbokodo Festival and the National Youth Jazz Festival in Grahamstown. Thango has also performed in venues in and around Durban, such as The Chairman, the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music, The Jazzy Rainbow and the BAT Centre. She is currently completing her B.A Degree in Jazz, which has greatly enhanced her musical performance.
Thango believes music is a calling and that music chooses its musicians.
The chosen musicians for the evening are: singer Ayanda Thango, Sanele Phakathi on piano, Thabo Sikhakhane (trumpet), Dalisu Ndlazi (bass), Sbu Zondi (drums), with Salim Washington on tenor saxophone and Bethuel Tsoane on guitar.
Concerts SA is a joint South African/Norwegian initiative housed under the auspices of the Stakeholder Hub within the SAMRO Foundation; it receives financial, administrative and technical support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the SAMRO Foundation and Kulturtanken. The project aims to support live music in South Africa by finding and implementing ways to create a vibrant and viable live music circuit. It also aims to develop an interest in and appreciation of live music by showcasing music performances and conducting workshops at schools. For more information please visit our website http://concertssa.co.za, follow @ConcertsSA on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ConcertsSA or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ConcertsSA.
Events Listing
Friday 14 September
The Jazzy Rainbow, 93 Smiso Nkwanyana (ex-Goble) Road
7pm entrance – R50, tickets at the door including a free drink for students (T&C)
Bookings: phone 031-3038398 or email jazzyrainbow@mweb.co.za
