At the beginning of the year, the premises of jazz musican Zim Ngqawana’s Zimology Institute, a space for non-commercial music making and mentorship, were burgled and vandalised. Taps, light switches and sockets, household equipment, beds and linen were stripped and stolen. Most painful, however, was the dismantling of two grand pianos for their metal content. The estimated damage - R500 000 - doesn’t begin to account for the emotional damage done.
Since then, Zim Ngqawana and a group of committed associates have embarked on a fund-raising campaign to rebuild the institute. The Exhibition of Vandalism, a film by Aryan Kaganof, documents the musical ritual performed by Ngqawana and Kyle Shepherd in the vandalised space of the institute.
On 17 July, with support from Pro Helvetia Cape Town, through its mandate from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the film will be screened as the prelude to a performance by Ngqawana and the multi-talented Mark Fransman at the Nirox Foundation, at the Cradle of Humankind.
The Exhibition of Vandalism kicks off proceedings at 2.30pm, alongside an exhibition of photographs by Andrew Tshabangu. At 3.30pm, Ngqawana will be joined in concert by Frasman. An entry fee of R50 per head will be charged at the gate.
For further information:
Rachel Montshiwa on +27 83 434 8541 or montshiwa23@gmail.com.
Ngqawana is a five-time South African Music Awards winner, who has worked with Max Roach, Abdullah Ibrahim, Yusef Lateef, and Hugh Masekela among others. His music, which contains elements of bop, funk, Indian and Western classical music, samba, tango and vocal chants, is difficult to categorise under generic labels. Cape Town-based Mark Fransman is a multi-instrumentalist who has travelled and collaborated widely, having shared stages with the likes of Pharoah Sanders, Winston Mankunku and Jimmy Dludlu among others. Not afraid to experiment, Frasman’s collaborative ventures have seen him exploring jazz music that intersects with hip-hop, electronica and funk. For his efforts, Fransman has received many prestigious awards, including Standard Bank Young Jazz Artist in 2008 and SAMAs in 2004 and 2007. |
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