Brussels Jazz Orchestra is a Belgian jazz orchestra with big band line up founded in 1993 by saxophonist and composer Frank Vaganée, Serge Plume, Marc Godfroid and Bo van der Werf. Since 1999 the orchestra is supported by the Flemish government.
Freshlyground are a South African Afro-fusion band that formed in Cape Town in 2002. The band members have different backgrounds, including South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. Freshlyground's musical style blends elements of traditional South African music, blues, jazz, and features of indie rock. They are best known for their performance "Waka Waka " with Colombian singer Shakira, which received worldwide recognition. The music video – featuring the group – also received over 3 billion views on YouTube.
TKZee is a South African kwaito music group formed in 1990's by three school friends, Tokollo Tshabalala, Kabelo Mabalane, and Zwai Bala. The group shot to prominence in late 1997 and early 1998 with their chart-topping singles "Phalafala" and "Shibobo".
Laurika Rauch, is a South African singer who performs in both Afrikaans and English. She had a hit single in 1979 with Kinders van die Wind, written by Koos du Plessis. The song featured prominently in the Afrikaans television series "Phoenix & Kie" in the late seventies.
Mountain Records is a record label started in Cape Town, South Africa in 1980 by Patrick Lee-Thorp.
South African jazz is the jazz of South Africa.
Salena Jones (born Joan Elizabeth Shaw, January 29, 1938, is an American jazz and cabaret singer. After performing and recording in the US as Joan Shaw from the late 1940s until the early 1960s, in various styles including jazz and R&B, she moved to England and from then on performed as Salena Jones. She has toured internationally and recorded over forty albums.
Isak Roux is a South African born German composer born in 1959. He is known for his arrangements of South African music, especially his work with the musical groups Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Kwela Tebza.
Simphiwe Dana is a South African singer and songwriter who works mostly in her mother tongue, the Xhosa language. Dana is also known for her creative social commentary and activism through music as a political art form. Her career in music began in 2002, at the age of 22.
Amanda Strydom is a South African singer and songwriter. Although she is known best for her singing, Strydom has also been active as a playwright and actress, most notably in the fields of cabaret and also in television.
Saskia Laroo, is a Dutch jazz musician who has been dubbed the "Lady Miles Davis". Her music style can be described as a combination of jazz, pop, electronic dance music, latin and world music.
Aleksandra Kwasniewska is a Polish folk-pop singer. Since 2005 she has lived and worked in London. She recorded and released her debut album Island Girl with the band "The Belgian Sweets" in 2008. Kwasniewska released her second album, The Sky is on Fire, in 2012.
The history of jazz in Belgium starts with the Dinant instrument maker Adolphe Sax, whose saxophone became part of military bands in New Orleans around 1900 and would develop into the jazz instrument par excellence. From then on the early history of jazz in Belgium virtually runs parallel to developments in the country of the birth of jazz, from the minstrel shows in the late 19th century until the first Belgian jazz album in 1927 and beyond.
Guy Buttery is a South African musician primarily known as a guitar player.
Ghalia Benali is a Tunisian singer, songwriter, writer, and graphic designer. Her music has been noted for its links to multiple genres and defining contemporary Arabic music. Benali's southern Tunisian upbringing and fascination with Middle Eastern and Arab legendary artists is palpable in her music style. Her voice has been dubbed as multicultural and polymorphic.
Victor Mhleli Ntoni was a South African musician, Among his notable achievements, Ntoni co-founded the Afro Cool Concept band in 1989 and received a nomination for the 2004 South African Music Awards SAMA and scored as well as arranged the music in The South African Songbook -- SA Folklore Music. His best known song is the hit “Wa thula nje”. At the time of his death Ntoni had become a legend in the jazz community.
Bittereinder is a South African rap/electro band from Pretoria who perform in Afrikaans. Jaco van der Merwe, Peach van Pletzen, and Louis Minnaar founded the three-man band in 2009, and have since performed at major South African festivals such as Oppikoppi, across southern Africa, and the Netherlands. They are known for their high-energy performances.
Revolution is a house band formed in Johannesburg, South Africa consisting of twin brothers George and Joseph Mothiba. They emerged into the spotlight with the release of their third album The Journey in 2002, supported by the hit single Vhavenda, it was recognised as the Best Selling Release at the 2003 South African Music Awards. Since then, they have released a further twelve albums at a rate of close to one per year, achieving some degree of commercial and critical success.
Charl Petrus du Plessis is a South African classical and jazz pianist. He is one of five South African Steinway artists and has won two South African Music Awards in 2017 and 2018. For the past 20 years he has been the pianist for South African singer-songwriter Nataniël. He is also the founder and pianist of the Charl du Plessis Trio which includes Werner Spies (bass) and Peter Auret (drums).
Melanie Scholtz is a South African born jazz singer, composer, dancer and visual artist who has performed with Wynton Marsalis, The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and Hugh Masakela.
