“Summertime Feels” in the gardens of Overstone Farm, (Fawnleas, near Wartburg) KZN Midlands

Media Release

“Summertime Feels” in the gardens of Overstone Farm, (Fawnleas, near Wartburg) KZN Midlands

Sunday, 2 December 2018

Mix up a 155 year-old farm setting, a stone shed and a dappled expansive garden with the jazzy-blues vocal talent of Tanya Nicolson, accompanied by St John Haw, interspersed with the heart-stopping classical piano talent of concert pianist, Lara Kirsten and you have a Sunday with a Summertime Feel that promises pure magic. 

“Summertime Feels”, a lazy afternoon of good music with great company, takes place on Sunday, December 2 from 1pm, with gates opening at 11am, at Overstone Farm, a working family farm 55km from Pietermaritzburg, 15km beyond Wartburg. Nestled in the sugar belt, Overstone offers a peaceful venue in a number of self-catering accommodation units in the original family homestead.   

St John Haw and Tanya Nicolson met in early 2013, through a mutual friend, and found an immediate connection musically. With St John on piano and Tanya on vocals, they were matched in an unexpected way through a love of their jazz influences but it was really their emotional connection through the music, that came as such a surprise to them both.

Tanya has been on stage professionally since the age of 8, with a background in drama, musical theatre, cabaret, physical theatre, film and TV. Her theatrical credits include playing the lead in David Kramer’s “District Six – The Musical” and many more musical theatre, serious dramas, film and TV roles including directing “Grease” alongside Ian Von Memerty. In 2007 Tanya began pursuing a new found passion for the culinary arts and hospitality which culminated in the opening of an award winning gourmet bistro in 2010 in Hilton; but stumbling upon the innate talents of St John Haw, rekindled the musical fire in Tanya.

 St John Haw is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Pietermaritzburg who has played piano most of his life in a variety of different spheres. Although his talent on the keys comes from somewhere that can only be described as innate and somewhat visceral, St John is also an extremely skilled landscaper with an unbridled passion for gardens, architecture and antiques.

Lara Kirsten is an award winning pianist and performance poet, based in Curry’s Post in the Midlands.  After completing her high school career at the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg, Lara received her BMus and BMus Honours degrees (both cum laude) respectively in 2001 and 2005, at the University of Pretoria. Prof. Joseph Stanford and Dr. Wessel van Wyk were her mentors in solo piano and chamber music respectively. She tour for over two years with the improvising cellist Francois le Roux throughout of SA, Europe and the USA and for the past decade Lara has been active as both a solo and chamber musician. She has played with musicians such as coloratura soprano Linda van Coppenhagen, soprano Gwyneth Lloyd, tenor Sandile Mabaso, clarinetist Morné van Heerden and cellist Wessel Beukes. One of the highlights of her musical career was trekking her piano all the way from her home in the Midlands of KZN to the AfrikaBurn festival (in the Tankwa Karoo of the Northern Cape) where she gave three open-air piano recitals. Concerts in KwaZulu-Natal include two tours with tenor Sandile Mabaso.

As a  special addition to the lazy afternoon of music, is a free yoga session conducted by Alice Richter on the lawns of the historic gardens at Overstone. Alice teaches alignment based Hatha Vinyasa, and beginner to experienced level practitioners are all welcome.

Tickets for the concert are R100 per person (children under 12 free) and are available through Tanya on 071 353 9539 or Phillippa on 083 290 1153 or at the gate. Bring picnics, drinks, chairs and umbrellas and be prepared for a relaxing, lazy Sunday afternoon.  Directions to the farm can be found on www.overstone.co.za. It is approximately 50 minutes from Pietermaritzburg, and 1 hour 30 minutes from Durban. GPS co-ordinates are -29.365575, 30.762536 

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Notes to editors:

Self-catering Accommodation:

Nestled in the sugar belt, Overstone offers a peaceful venue in a number of self-catering accommodation units in the orginal family homestead.  The units are appropriately named to celebrate their 1863 origins:  the original Post Office, the Dairy, the Laundry and the Schoolroom served exactly those functions in their day. Barn 1 and 2 used to house various livestock but with a dusting of shweshwe, and some smart plumbing guests enjoy a luxuriously comfortable night’s sleep, and yes, will often wake to the sounds of the nearby Nguni herd.

Next week’s annual Jazz Jol is going BIG - Durban, South Africa

Next week’s annual Jazz Jol is going BIG

The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music at the University of KwaZulu-Natal presents its 28th Jazz Jol on Wednesday, November 30 at 6pm.

The annual Jazz Jol, has become something of a legendary year-end celebration for music-lovers, with proceeds going to the Ronnie Madonsela Scholarship that assists disadvantaged jazz students at UKZN with financial aid or support. This year the Jol features student ensemble Nyimbo ya Bantu, the recently launched UKZN Big Band, the UKZN Trebles - a vocal group featuring UKZN Voice students, as well as a selection of students that have featured in the Centre’s showcases throughout the year.

Nyimbo ya Bantu, which means “people's song” in a blend of kiSwahili and isiZulu, is comprised of junior and senior jazz studies students from UKZN’s music discipline within the School of the Arts: Tseleng Mokhatla on flute, Ildo Nandja on double/electric bass and vocals, Nic Pitman on guitar, Zibusiso Makhathini on piano and Riley Giandhari on drums.

The ensemble’s repertoire mixes original compositions influenced by classic jazz, afro jazz and world music, with South African jazz standards and music by local artists from KwaZulu Natal. At the Jazz Jol they will perform, amongst other pieces, Rachel, composed by Pitman; Metamorphosis, composed and arranged by Nandja; End Times by Giandhari and Spirit of the Messenger by Makhathini. Audiences can also expect a cover composed by renowned South African pianist Bheki Mseleku. Nyimbo ya Bantu has performed at the Grahamstown Standard Bank Youth Jazz Festival, the Oslo Jazz Festival in Norway as part of the Nordic showcase and performs regularly at the Chairman in Durban.

“Audiences should expect a high quality musical performance with a fresh blending of traditional classic jazz with contemporary sounds of African and world music,” says Nyimbo ya Bantu’s band leader Nandja.

Directed by Burton Naidoo, the UKZN Big Band which was launched in June this year features a line-up of top talent - pianists Abigail Giddings and Jaedon Daniel, bassist Llewelyn Chetty, drummer Riley Giandhari, trumpeters, Siyanda Zulu, Sanele Qwabe, Phuti Mofokeng, and Talente Mhlongo, guitarist Kaylin Naidoo, Snothile Mkhize on clarinet, alto saxophonists Nwabisa Kheswa, Simone van Niekerk, Tim Lewis and Phumlani Mtiti, Tenor saxophonist Bonginkosi Mkhize and Trombonists Thembinkosi Khumalo, Mokgethisi Nkotsi, Tseleng Makhatla (flute) with Special guests Prof Salim Washington (tenor saxophone), Prof Mike Rossi from South African College of Music, University of Cape Town and George Mari (trumpet).

The Band will play a selection of favourites from their repertoire including standards such as Moten Swing by Buster Morten and two songs by living legend Ndikho Xaba arranged by John Kordalewski - Mad Mad and Nomusa.

“We are particularly excited by the band’s selection of music,” says Neil Gonsalves, Director for the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music, “John Kordalewski and Bab’ Ndikho Xaba, the great KZN pianist and struggle stalwart, met in the late 1970’s while Bab’ Ndikho was living in USA Washington DC. It was here that he mentored John. In 2014, John came to see Bab’ Ndikho and spending time at the keyboard together in his house led to the idea of writing arrangements of Baba’s music to preserve his cultural legacy. John wanted to create a unique combination of the “big band” sounds and colours with South African fundamentals that are in Xaba’s compositions. They eventually recorded a few ideas, which John uses as a reference for his arrangements. John worked with the UKZN Big band in September, and is excited to present his arrangements of these works with these talented musicians.”

The Ronnie Madonsela Scholarship also provides bursaries for deserving students and also funds students’ travel visas for overseas trips, as well as national travel and accommodation to the National Youth Jazz Festival in Grahamstown and other educational festivals, workshops and conferences.

The Jazz Jol takes place at The Centre for Jazz and Popular music (CJPM), Level 2, Shepstone Building at UKZN Howard College Campus. Tickets are R120, pensioners R80, and students R60 at the door. For more details contact Thuli Zama on 031 260 3385 or email Zamat1@ukzn.ac.za

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Poetry Africa 2015 Finale with Nakhane Toure

Poetry Africa 2015 Finale with Nakhane Toure

The 19th Poetry Africa international poetry festival, which begins next week on Monday, (October 12) will close next Saturday (October 17) with a festival finale with Nakhane Toure at the Rivertown Beerhall.

The programme begins at 4pm with the annual Poetry Africa Durban Slam Jam event where Durban slam poets will compete for the title of Poetry Africa Slam Jam champion.

Running for over a decade, the Poetry Africa Durban Slam Jam remains one of the festival’s highlights, providing the audience with a rush of rhythm and rhyme from both Durban and abroad. The Slam Jam participants for 2015 are: Sfundo Sibisi, Kgune Dlamini, Zethembile Nkabinde and Andile Nyembezi. 

DJ Rawkidd Mpangase will be in the house and there will also be performances by Many Moore and Lu Dlamini prior to the final performances from all the 19th Poetry Africa participants:

Africa Dlamini(South Africa), Aryan Kaganof (South Africa), Celiswa Majali (South Africa), Icebound Makhele (South Africa), Kat Francois (United Kingdom), Khanyi Shusha (South Africa), Kwazi Ndlangisa (South Africa), Lebo Mashile (South Africa), Lebohang ‘Nova’ Masango (South Africa), Lesego Rampolokeng (South Africa), Makhosazana Xaba (South Africa), Matt Vend (South Africa), Mbali Vilakazi (South Africa), Mthunzikazi Mbungwana (South Africa), Mutle Mothibe (South Africa), Nii Parkes (United Kingdom/ Ghana), Nokulunga Dladla (South Africa), Nosipho Magcaba (South Africa), Ntsiki Mazwai (South Africa), Thabiso Mohare (South Africa), Thando Fuze (South Africa), Tshebeletso Mohale (South Africa), Vonani Bila (South Africa), Vus'umuzi Phakathi (South Africa).

The programme concludes with a performance from award winning Johannesburg based artist Nakhane Touré.  His debut music video for the single, Fog was nominated for a Design Indaba ‘Most Beautiful Object’ award. And at the 2014 MTV Music Awards he received a Best Alternative nomination. His album Brave Confusion was nominated for four SAMAS at the 20th SAMA awards and went on to win the Best Alternative Album. Touré’s debut novel Piggy Boy’s Blue will be launched at 14:00 at 8 Morrison Street on 17 October.

Tickets for the festival finale at Rivertown cost R70 (pre-sale or R80 at the door) and can be purchased from www.computicket.com.

For more information go to www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or like the Facebook page PoetryAfrica or follow on Twitter @PoetryAfrica. 

Presented by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal) and made possible by support from the eThekwini Municipality, KZN Department of Arts and Culture, National Arts Council and the Goethe Institute. The Centre for Creative Arts is housed in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is a special project of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter.