Press Release – For Immediate Release
In association with Concerts SA, the Mkizwana Ensemble will be touring nationally to perform their debut album African Skies. Launched at The Orbit (Johannesburg) in July, African Skies will be presented live at selected music venues in Durban.
Formed in early 2014, the Mkizwana Ensemble comprises five gentlemen who have been musicians and friends for several years. Named after musical director, Viwe Mkizwana, the band performs a variety of original compositions jointly arranged by the collective. Viwe himself plays double bass, Ntsikelelo “Jack” Mcwabe trumpet, Malusi Masia tenor saxophone, Sphelelo Mazibuko drums, Thandi Ntuli piano, Lebo Mabe trombone, and Keorapetse Kolwane provides vocals.
Through the combination of keyboard, double bass, trumpet, alto and tenor saxophones the ensemble produces a unique sound and most importantly – Xhosa and other African genres. The ensemble’s organic style of creating and performing aids the adaptability of the young collective.
Having met at the Tshwane University of Technology, the collective has a variety of training ranging from jazz to popular music in addition to various qualifications from the Trinity Guildhall and the Royal School of London. Vast travel experience across African, Asian and European regions has also boosted the band’s understanding and creation of music – the craft which feeds the group’s collective spiritual journey.
In their brief period of being active, the ensemble has performed a variety of gigs both public and private. They also had the pleasure of gracing the Moretele Park Festival addition to performing at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival which bears testament to the ensemble’s passion for performing.
The strong friendship between the five band members feeds into the sentimentality and balance of the fifteen song repertoire which comprises of tunes such as Jack’s She Was Good and Viwe’s dedication to his late brother Zinhle, all included in their debut CD. Since their formation, the ensemble has performed at major events like the Moretele Park Jazz and Standard Bank’s Joy of Jazz Festivals, sharing the stage with world-renowned legends.
Viwe Mkizwana began playing the Classical Double Bass at the prestigious East Rand School of the Arts at the age of seventeen. In 2008 Mkizwana’s love of music led him to the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), where he began his studies in Jazz and earned a Grade 8 Certificate in Double Bass. During his time at TUT he was a member of the TUT Big Band and Footprints Trio Jazz Band. He later went on to manage and perform with Just Friends jazz band and formed the successful Mkizwana Ensemble in 2014. Mkizwana has played with the MIAGI Orchestra, Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, and KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, and served as the Principal Bassist in the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra from 2006-2009.
Mkizwana has participated in Joy of Jazz Festival every year since 2010. He is currently the Principal Bassist of the Pretoria-based Gauteng Philharmonic Orchestra. His passion for music has taken him around the country and the world, most recently on a European tour with the prestigious non-profit Music Is a Great Investment (MIAGI) where he was privileged to perform with the MIAGI Orchestra in large concert halls in Amsterdam (The Royal Concertgebouw), Germany (Berlin Philharmonia) and Sweden (King’s Castle). In addition to performing, Mkizwana has experience managing the MIAGI New Skool Orchestra and is currently a Bass Teacher and Orchestral Sectional Instructor at Pretoria High School for Girls.
Mkizwana Ensemble African Skies Tour is supported by the Music Mobility Fund, a funding mechanism administered by Concerts SA which offers opportunities for South African musicians to undertake live music tours.
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 Concerts Norway. Working with musicians, promoters, venue owners and audiences, 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 twitter.com/ConcertsSA or like us on Facebook at facebook.com/ConcertsSA.
Artist Links
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Mkizwana-Ensemble-1452877004990159
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mkizwana-ensemble
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCL4mRswg53z_5m8xfVZ-Bog
Events Listing
Durban – The Chairman
Firday 10th March – 11pm – R 150
Address: 146 Mahatma Gandhi Road, Durban
Contact: 078 387 1408 / info@thechairmanlive.com
Durban – Jazzy Rainbow
Saturday 11th March – 7pm – R 80 (one drink included)
Address: 93 Smiso Nkwanyana Rd, Morningside, Durban
Contact: 031 303 8398 / jazzyrainbow@mweb.co.za
