Women play multiple roles in South Africa’s jazz scene - The visibility of women in jazz has dwindled significantly over the past decade or so. Tseliso Monaheng goes on the search for potential causes
Two decades ago, a roll-call of South African jazz musicians would have included a number of women — Sibongile Khumalo, Judith Sephuma, Gloria Bosman, Miriam Makeba, Sathima Bea Benjamin, Thandi Klaasen, Abigail Kubeka, Dorothy Masuka and Dolly Rathebe. That list grew to include Melanie Scholtz, Zamajobe, Nomfundo Xaluva, Omagugu Makhathini and more during the latter part of the 2000s.
Sisane, who also does advocacy work for International Jazz Day in South Africa, asserts that women don’t just walk in and spend their time on stage. They are present backstage, they are front-of-house, they are other things besides being on the bandstand. “Being an independent musician means that you are a company with all the different departments. One thing I learned from the tour was the importance of documenting your ideas,” she says.
They have kept in contact since, with Sephuma playing the role of adviser during Luzipo’s years at university and through to when she organised her own shows. “I think that that’s what we’ve gone through now. The younger generation came and stamped their mark and definitely made their voice known, and you can hear these nuances in their music.
Siya Makuzeni sees shifts in the jazz scene and believes those with original voices will survive. Photo: Siphiwe MhlambiGabi Motuba takes a leaf from this; she wears many hats — vocalist, composer, arranger, conductor and experimental musician.“And I’m not saying she considers being with [ her husband Tumi Mogorosi] as being shadow; they seem to have an incredible relationship — but you can see that she’s important to him as an individual with her own ideas,” Sisane says.
“There is something very male-dom that thrives within the scene. Even the young cats, they move as packs among themselves. Hence I mention [Thandi Ntuli] because I see her in an outfit such as The Rebirth of Cool with Kenzhero and them, and then I see her inand the big role that she’s played and I’m like, what does it take to be that? Makes me ask what happened to Nomvula Ndlazilwana. What prevented her from shining because she and [Bheki Mseleku] were in tandem as young lovers.
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