Hosted by Just Festival at Edinburgh International
Transcription
Hosted by Just Festival at Edinburgh International
Just Festival at Edinburgh International Festival Fringe August 2017 Hosted by The historic Rainbow Restaurant is going to Edinburgh’s International Festival Fringe. It will be hosted by Just Festival. Presenting a multi-disciplinary South African cultural installation aiming to share the best of their 36 year history of struggle for freedom and peace through music, this unique multimedia installation follows the South Africa - UK Season (2014-2015) and tells a story of memories and hope. Where: Just Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK Venue: St John’s Church, Princes Street: a 120 seats theatre in the city center. When: August 2017 24 DAYS of performance What: Installed in a re-designed church with a special “Rainbow” artistic set-up, the one month installation, “the RAINBOW in EDINBURGH” will share the ongoing story of a unique cultural institution from KwaZulu-Natal where music is used as a medium to break down social barriers” On stage: 7 bands that have a historic link to the Rainbow stage will have four days of performances each. 2 - Rainbow in Edinburgh The Music The Sounds of KwaZulu-Natal Madala Kunene Madala Kunene, the king of Zulu blues guitar is one of the oldest and dearest friends of the Rainbow with a performance history on our stage dating back to the 1980’s. As part of a double bill with the high energy maskanda sounds of Shabalala Rhythm for our opening salvo in Edinburgh, we cannot think of a better combination to lay down a distinct marker on the region that gave birth to the Rainbow Restaurant. With the Rainbow having been established in the dark days of Apartheid, we are inviting Kunene to present his current album, 1959 . Kunene was born in 1951 in Mkhumbane (Cato Manor), a vibrant mixed community just outside of inner Durban. The son of a carpenter, Kunene was raised by his grandmother — a staunch academic who wanted him to be something of a bookworm. At the age of eight, in the year 1959, Kunene and some members of his extended family were trucked off by the Apartheid government to go live in the then relatively new township of KwaMashu. “People can’t imagine what it’s like when you see bulldozers demolish your home in the middle of the night,” recalls Kunene. “The worst thing was that when they moved us, they came at night and packed my family into the back of a truck and then went to another area to pick up another family there and so on. So you were not just separated from your home, you were stripped of your friends and neighbours in the process. It was a very calculated act,” Kunene adds. Shabalala Rhythm World music talent comes no finer than that from the Shabalala family of Durban. Sibongiseni Shabalala, who now steps into his father’s shoes to lead Ladysmith Black Mambaso, is also the core of the hot Maskanda act Shabalala Rhythm. A hugely talented performer Sibongiseni drives with a passion any project he is involved with. Shabalala Rhythm began in 1998 and after writing tracks “Ubuhle Bakho” and “Intombi Ingalile” Durban guitarist Maqhinga Radebe was called to join the group. Later that year the first album was released.Since the band formed they have gone from strength to strength performing nationally and internationally. Their live shows are high energy, very slick productions. Supporters of the band know to expect a fantastic event and new followers will be swept up by their precision and interpretation of the Maskanda style. Rainbow in Edinburgh - 3 The Music The Jazz Masters Louis Mhlanga Quintet Mhlanga (born 10 November 1956) is a South African based Zimbabwean award-winning guitarist and producer. Mhlanga’s career began in the 1970s. Fronting many bands in Zimbabwe, he mixed American and Zimbabwean influences into his music. Mhlanga became renowned for his guitar skills, and worked with Zimbabwean acts Darius Brubeck Quartet The Darius Brubeck Quartet has acquired an enthusiastic following for its strong programs of South African jazz, Dave Brubeck hits and Darius’ original compositions. Playing to consistently sold-out houses at regional festivals and clubs, including London’s Ronnie Scott’s, Pizza Express and 606 Jazz Clubs, the London-based Quartet’s acoustic sound is melodic, spontaneous and rhythmically exciting. Audiences also appreciate the talk between songs. The London-based Quartet has toured Europe and the Middle East and recorded three CDs, “For Lydia and the 4 - Rainbow in Edinburgh Lion”, “Two And Four/To And Fro” and the 2015 release “Cathy’s Summer”. ‘More than half a century after [Dave Brubeck] invited listeners to start counting in odd numbers, the music has lost none of its poise… Darius is as cultured a pianist as his father.’ Clive Davis, The Times ‘Darius, the eldest [of Dave Brubeck’s sons] and most visually like his father, plays stylish piano and knows the score.’ Jack Massarik, Evening Standard such as Shaka, Talking Drum, Ilanga, Mudzimu, and Oliver Mtukudzi. Louis eventually headed to South Africa to pursue different musical opportunities, leading to collaborations with renowned South African artists such as Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Ray Phiri, Sipho Mabuse, Mlunhgisi Gegane, and Busi Mhlongo. The Music The Jazz Masters Melvin Peters & Arne Hiorth Pops Mohammed & Dave Reynolds Pops Mohamed: South Africa’s beloved “minister” of music, multiinstrumentalist, jazz composer, traditional music preservationist and global “Fucha-Rist” was featured in the TV series 21 Icons. He’s synonymous with the term South African Jazz legend. He’s a multiaward winning performer who’s toured with artists like world music legends Andreas Vollenweider and Baaba Maal and recorded music with SA’s tribal people - the San, more commonly known as the Bushmen. Melvin Peters started classical piano lessons at the age of six and continued through high school. Whilst studying towards a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Natal, he began jazz piano lessons under the tutelage of Darius Brubeck in 1983. After completing a Master of Music degree in Jazz Performance in 1989, he was appointed lecturer in Jazz Studies at the University of Durban-Westville in 1990. (UN and UDW are now combined under the name University of Kwazulu-Natal). He taught here for ten years and during this time was awarded a scholarship to study at Harvard University in 1998/9. In 2010, Peters joined Norwegian trumpeter Arne Hiorth in a performance with the North Sea Big Band at National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, South Africa. When Hiorth visited South Africa in late 2015, he joined Peters in a quartet for a performance at the Rainbow on 8 November. He also co-created the TV show Southern Rhythms. The show explores the relationship between music and spirituality in SA. Dave Reynolds is SA’s leading steelpan player! He’s a SAMRO Award winning composer and also performs with acoustic guitar. He’s toured and recorded all over the world with legends like Steve Newman, Hugh Masekela, the late Gito Baloi, Tony Cox, the late Sipho Gumede, Paul Hanmer and McCoy Mrubata. Rainbow in Edinburgh - 5 The Music The International Guest Akale Wube In their 6 years of existence, Akalé Wubé has never stopped widening the canvas onto which they lay their music, which keeps becoming richer and deeper just like the their primary source of inspiration: the popular Ethiopian repertoire of the 60s and 70s. The band started off covering music from the “Ethiopiques” series, after which they immersed themselves deeper 6 - Rainbow in Edinburgh into Ethiopian music, all the while multiplying their collaborations with musicians and dancers from Ethiopia, Africa and Europe. Slowly but surely, clocking in at around 200 concerts in Europe, Asia and Africa, the band has become one of the world’s leading ambassadors of Ethiopian groove. Pop-up Shebeen The with Zulu Flavours Tastes of the Rainbow: The flame grilled spicy A-Flat Chicken, the Durban bunny-chow; uJeqe (traditional steamed bread); isibindi (fried ox-liver), usu (tripe); the multi-colored Rainbow salad and more, all served on Lezi’thebe, traditional hand carved wooden platters in true African tradition of communal eating, also known as ubuntu. Wherever possible, all products offered for sale will be sourced from Fair Trade suppliers or suppliers that work within the ethics of Fair Trade. The Spaza Shop A pop up art and gifts shop will offer CD’s and mementos from the artists, Rainbow t-shirts and calendars incorporating the images of Mayet as well as prints of Makhanya’s paintings. Also, traditional craft and design from Kwazulu-Natal in partnership with organisations such as the Woza Moya Craft Store, a success story for community development as a project of the Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust www.hillaids.org.za - incorporating crafters drawn from the catchment area of the Rainbow’s regular clientele as well as other successful job creating companies like Congo Rose www.congorose.com. Rainbow in Edinburgh - 7 A Visual Journey Exhibition: Reminiscing In Tempo Photographs by Rafs Mayet: images of Rainbow Restaurant since 1985 Rafique ‘Rafs’ Mayet born in Durban in 1955, was the first photographer to exhibit at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival in 1999. Learning the basics in 1983 by working in the darkroom of documentary photographer Omar Badsha, he later became a member of ‘Afrapix’, a photographic collective that extensively covered the resistance to Apartheid during the dark days of the Eighties and early Nineties in South Africa. From 2004 until 2015, he was the curator for the photographic exhibitions at the “Duotone Gallery”, an integral part of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival experience. He has also participated in solo and group exhibitions, both in South Africa and abroad. Rafs Mayet has been capturing images of the Rainbow Restaurant Pinetown since 1985. 8 - Rainbow in Edinburgh Paintings by artist Zamani Makhanya Zamani Makhanya , born in Durban in 1959, was first introduced to art at Amanzimtoti College, and after completing a Fine Art degree at Fort Hare in the Eastern Cape, went on to form a collective of artists from the Durban area who called themselves “Third Eye Vision”. This group rejected old artistic traditions and focused on the importance of being African by exploring African symbolism, and were heavily influenced by abstracts and the silent dialogue that existed between artists. Zamani prefers to work in pastels, slowly building up the surface area using a ‘Sgrafitto’ technique to etch into the surface, bringing out color variations and thus, showing different textures. He held his first solo exhibition in 2003 at the African Art Centre and has also contributed to several group exhibitions, both here in South Africa and abroad. Side Events Literature & Heritage Launch and workshops on the book Reminiscing in Tempo: The Rainbow and Resistance in 1980’s South Africa by Professor Marc Duby, research professor in Musicology at the University of South Africa. On the invitation of Darius Brubeck, Duby a bassist by trade initially relocated to Durban in 1984 and proceeded to perform regularly at the Rainbow through to 1992, at a time when the laws of the land said he was not allowed to do so. Darius Brubeck’s biography, Jazz Life will also feature in our program as his time as Professor of Jazz Studies at the then University of Natal was inextricably tied in with the development of the Rainbow. Brubeck started what is today the oldest school of Jazz Studies in Africa during this time and together with Pretorius and the Rainbow established the Ronnie Madonsela Scholarship Fund at the University, which has supported the development of some of the brightest lights to come out of South Africa in the world of jazz. Documentaries UNDER THE RAINBOW, a biographical documentary on the Rainbow produced by Durban based Production Company, Scholars and Gentlemen. It will tell the story of the Rainbow’s establishment and survival under the stern eye of the Security Branch, with a strong focus on the enigmatic character that is Ben Pretorius, right through to present day as a functioning, living institution that continues to host world class music events in a very “other where” location deeply embedded in the chaotic commuter hub that is the Pinetown bus and taxi rank. THE RAINBOW: THE STRUGGLE FOR JAZZ AND JAZZ FOR THE STRUGGLE, by award winning journalist, Niren Tolsi. The four key chapters of this documentary are: “The Rainbow’s founding; The Truth and Reconciliation Commission headed by Archbishop Tutu; The Marikana massacre; and The apparent suicide death of jazz musician Zim Ngqawana”. Rainbow in Edinburgh - 9 The Rainbow to Edingurgh in Numbers 40 artists 28 musical performances 2 exhibitions 2 documentaries 1 book 1 Bar Restaurant 1 stage 1 Art Shop 24 days of Festival It is said that Edinburgh’s year round population of 500 000 more than doubles during the month of August when the world’s biggest arts festival takes place, the Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe Festival. In 2015, audited ticket sales for the 3800+ productions staged exceeded 2.5 million, making it the third largest multi-day ticketed event in the world after the Soccer World Cup and the Olympic Games. Visibility Target in SA 2000 ticket buyers for fundraising concerts in KZN 100,000 exposed audience through medias Visibility Target in UK 2,400 ticket buyers +10,000 visitors +250,000 exposed audience The ainbow Durban 10 - Rainbow in Edinburgh Fundraising - Join The Train The Rainbow in Edinburgh will be ambassador of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa by: Sharing a live example of powerful values and history of the South African fight for equality and social inclusion Promoting African, South African and specifically KwaZulu-Natal culture to an international audience Providing training, work and international exposure to South African artists, crafters and restaurant workers. Promoting a key cultural attraction from KwaZulu-Natal for tourism and special events such as the Commonwealth Games in Durban in 2022. Rainbow in Edinburgh - 11 Fundraising - Join The Train Become a Rainbow arch! and enjoy a full Rainbow experience Full Main Sponsor - R5.5m - £250 000 Exclusivity of the sponsorship and branding • • • • • • • • • Naming rights of the event e.g. “My Company - the Rainbow in Edinburgh “ Your logo as ONLY sponsor in full on all communication tools: brochures, flyers, websites, goodies, T-shirts , social me-dias, press releases Marketing table of your company in the venue during 24 days & speech presentation at the opening night Screening of promotional movie of your company before every dinner - show of Rainbow in Edinburgh FULL EXPERIENCE to Edinburgh Festival for 4 PEOPLE with Rainbow including: flights, 3 nights, exclusive visit of the city, VIP ticket to the Main festival, whisky tasting, access to backstage 5 VIP tickets for every dinner - show of Rainbow in Edinburgh during 24 days Free entrance to Rainbow Restaurant Pinetown for 4 people, valid lifetime Exclusive concert from one of the Rainbow in Edinburgh artists for your company at your premises in South Africa. SPECIAL GIFT of a photograph from Rafs Mayet and the corresponding painting by Zamani Makhanya Great Sponsor - R2m - £90 000 Heart Sponsor - R750 000 - £35 000 • • • • • • • Your logo as sponsor on all communication tools: brochures, flyers, websites, goodies, T-shirts, social media, press releas-es. Marketing table for your company in the venue during the 24 day installation and speech presentation on the opening night. INVITATION to Edinburgh for 2 PEOPLE with the Rainbow including flights, 3 nights exclusive visit to the city, VIP ticket to the Main festival, whisky tasting, access to backstage. 2 VIP tickets for every show of the Rainbow in Ediunburgh Free entrance to Rainbow Restaurant, Pinetown for 2 people, valid lifetime. One exclusive music concert of one of the Rainbow in Edinburgh artists for your company at the Rainbow, Pinetown. Great Sponsor R2 000 000 £90 000 Heart Sponsor R750 000 £35 000 12 - Rainbow in Edinburgh • • • Your logo on all communication tools: brochures, flyers, websites, goodies, T-shirts, social medias, press releases. Marketing table for your company in the venue throughout the installation and speech presentation on the opening night 2 complimentary tickets for every show of the Rainbow in Edinburgh. Free entrance to Rainbow Restaurant, Pinetown for 2 people, valid lifetime. Full Main Sponsor R5 500 000 £250 000 About The Rainbow Restaurant The Rainbow Restaurant occupies a unique space in South Africa’s political and musical history. It opened its doors for trade on Thursday 17 December 1981. It was the first such establishment of its kind in KwaZulu-Natal, located in a so called “white” area under the Group Areas Act, to be granted a license to sell food and sorghum beer to Africans, run by Ben Pretorius and Billy Mthembu. In those dark days of Apartheid, the Rainbow played an important role in the struggle against the government of the day. Whilst being under constant surveillance it was an important meeting place for activists fighting against the status quo. In 1983 the first concert was staged featuring Philip Tabane and Malombo, thus starting a key element of what is today the Rainbow legend. Over the years most of South Africa’s greatest musicians, who remained in South Africa during the Apartheid years, who used their music as a form of protest, have performed on the Rainbow stage and it has played a key role in the development of their careers. Whilst the music performed and the concerts that were staged are a celebration of our culture, the concerts also proved to be an ideal medium to protest against the Apartheid system. By 1994, Mthembu had sold his shares in the business to Pretorius who, after a yearlong safari through Africa with his wife Pam, returned to Durban with renewed energy, getting partnerships such as the Rainbat project with the newly On the September 2, 2001 legendary Durban singer Busi Mhlongo performed at the handover concert and so the Rainbow story continued. opened BAT Centre, up and running. They also started a new venture in the form of an eco-tourism business called Ufudu Flyfishing Experience. As Ufudu grew, the music program at the Rainbow staggered on under different managers. In June 2001, at Pretorius’ surprise 50th birthday celebrations at the Rainbow, It was suggested to Neil and Nicola Comfort - Neil having assisted Pam in securing such stalwart Rainbow performers as Winston “Mankunku” Ngozi, Darius Brubeck and Sandile Shange for the event - that they consider taking up the reins. Now in 2016, after 15 years of keeping the Rainbow vibe for their regular customers whilst maintaining the egalitarian space created by Pretorius and Mthembu, the Comfort’s and the extensive network of friends of the Rainbow feel it is time to take this unique story to the world. For Neil and Nicola this is also part and parcel of their succession plans for the Rainbow, where their vision is that the team that runs the Rainbow on a day to day basis end up in an ownership position by 2021, when, like Pretorius, their 20 years at the Rainbow are up. A true empowerment story centred on the workers. Rainbow in Edinburgh - 13 The Rainbow Restaurant In Numbers 1981 Opened by Ben Pretorius and Billy Mthembu 1983 First concert staged featuring Philip Tabane and The Malombo Men 1988 Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday concert attended by more than 500 people including at least 10 state Security Branch members 2001 Neil and Nicola Comfort take over ownership Since 2001 +/- 375 concerts +/- 75 000 people attending concerts Averaging band size at 6 members per concert, work created for musicians equals approximately 2250 work days Today The Rainbow has 14 full time employees with up to 6 contract workers for concert days The Rainbow trades 360 days a year Opening time is 10am each day with closing between 7 and 8pm each evening The Rainbow has consistently been amongst the top 10 onconsumption outlets by volume in SABMiller product for the past 15 years +/- 26 concerts are staged each year with an average 16 ticketed concerts and 10 free entrance events Between 200 to 250 people attend each concert with a diverse demographic ranging from blue collar workers to high income individuals 14 - Rainbow in Edinburgh About Our Hosts - Just Festival Just Festival events, part of the Edinburgh International Festival Fringe, aim to challenge perceptions, celebrate differences and promote respectful dialogue. The conversations, talks, exhibitions and performances which constitute Just’s annual programme are designed to engage with topical local, national and international questions of social justice, equality and identity, including prejudice against race, ethnicity, class and economic status. Just explores these issues by creating safe spaces for dialogue and exchange between affected groups and individuals, invited experts, practitioners, community based organisations, socially conscious performing arts groups and the general public. Rainbow in Edinburgh - 15 Neil & Nicola Nicola Comfort, co-owner of the Rainbow has been involved in the arts since 1990. Growing up in West Yorkshire, she began her career as an actress/ASM for a small theatre company in her home town. At 19 she landed regular episodes as a character on Yorkshire Television’s Emmerdale. A fantastic opportunity to travel and be involved in a big production gave her experience that many teens didn’t get. During this period she got the opportunity to visit South Africa and a huge shift began in her passion. In 1996 she took a year out to volunteer in South Africa. She offered her experience and enthusiasm to the newly developed BAT (Bartel Arts Trust) Centre. A community centre for musicians, dancers, visual artists and actors. A centre with rehearsal rooms, galleries, 16 - Rainbow in Edinburgh performance spaces all working together in a space where artists could inspire each other. That was it – life changed! After volunteering for the year, BAT offered her a position as project manager, where she developed cultural evenings and new business for the centre. This centre was also the place where she and Neil met, worked and lived together. In 2001 when they were offered the ownership of the Rainbow Restaurant they jumped at the chance. Giving them the opportunity to protect and develop this sacred space and renew the Rainbow’s rich musical legacy. 15 years and 2 children later, Nicola juggles home, kids and business, she keeps the admin and media for the Rainbow in check and is the sometime gear stick for Neil’s off the wall ideas! Nicola’s joy is in seeing a concert come to life and witnessing that magic when audience and band become one. Starting in 1994 as personal assistant to Busi Mhlongo, one of the greatest and most inspirational singers to come out of South Africa, Neil Comfort has worked in pretty much every single position in the live music industry barring being an entertainment lawyer or a performer on stage. As far as the former is concerned, Neil believes that moral integrity and keeping to ones word trumps anything written into a contract. As far as the second is concerned, when Neil found his feet in the music scene in South Africa in the mid-1990’s, the most glaring shortfall was strong artist representation - a wealth of talent but a lack of viable performance opportunities for that talent. Career highlights include securing a contract to manage the entire music program at the BAT Centre in 1997, on the back of producing an 850 over-capacity concert for the Springbok Nude Girls in the BAT Hall; being appointed office manager for Presentation Services Limited, technical service providers to the 8th International Aids Conference, Durban 2000; being invited to take over custodianship of the historic Rainbow Restaurant in 2001; and curating the emerging artist program for the eThekwini (Durban) Metropolitan region for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Soccer tournament. Having produced in excess of five thousand stage calls for live bands over more than twenty years, Neil feels that with the support of the team behind the Rainbow in Edinburgh, most importantly his partner Nicola and project manager Sarah Doignon, it is time to the take the unique story of the Rainbow to the world. Contact Artistic Director: NEIL COMFORT [email protected] Project Manager: NICOLA COMFORT [email protected] Project And Fundraising Coordinator: SARAH DOIGNON [email protected]