Avant Garde Troupe: Recent Episodes
Jazzuary FM
Mpumi_MaQ “Born and raised in Pimville. Music collector since in the mid 90's. Better known as Mpumi_MaQ, got heavily influenced into music by his uncle and late father where got exposed to a lot of jazz and soul music. Started collecting music by buying kwaito and hiphop on cassette. Then got exposed to a lot of house music through radio in the late 90's.
Future of Work Disruption lies ahead. Driven by accelerating connectivity, new talent models, and cognitive tools, work is changing. As robotics, AI, the gig economy and crowds grow, jobs are being reinvented, creating the “augmented workforce.
VU5UMZ1 prounouced Vusumzi however two lettersare replaced with numbers 5 and 1 just to stand out. Originally hailing in the West of Pretoria in Attridgeville. He soon found the club scene of nearby Trendycity irresistible, and so he tried his hand behind the decks VU5UMZ1 has influences ranging from international to national/local producers, artist,DJ’s and collectors. A graduate in project management and strategic sourcing and supply management. His favourite genre is good music and is not limited to any genre.
Khulile Jiyane Jiyane is a Soweto born Dj. He started learning how to mix on vinyl's in 1999 and played from there played around street bashes and clubs in and around Soweto then later on played in East Rand , played in Bloemfontein, Rustenburg ,Durban, Cape Town and Botswana in 2009 Sai and Jiyane started a podcast called Soulful Kollective Radio show which has a following from all over the world.
"A child's place in a revolution" Avant Garde Troupe chats to Luyolo Vumazonke about her Jazz likes and inspiration.
Jabu Shoba, a passionate Collector from Pretoria. Started collecting music from the year 2003, ever since he never looked back. In 2015 he started his own movement called Orbit Scale Sessions #OSS which is based in Mamelodi. He says music connects the people.
Smoothie T Tlotlo Molefe, better known by his stage name DJ Smoothie T grew up in Ga-Rankuwa, a township located in the North of Pretoria. His love for music was influenced by his father from an early age. At the age of six he was selected to be a member of a school musical group called Dithaga Music Project where he had an opportunity to express himself through various instruments. During that period, Smoothie had already begun collecting music from different genres such as Jazz, Reggae, Soul as well as Pop. In the late 2003, Smoothie T got introduced to the dance scene, where he got the chance to see a DJ spinning to records and mixing them. A spinner by the name of Positive K was the one who Smoothie got his first
Avant Garde Troupe hosts Shuya from the Kyoto Jazz Massive, indulging in some Japanese Jazz music and culture
Khumo Mosiane affectionately known to many as Bra Boss, born in the North West, Rustenburg. A founding member of Hotel Rwanda’s Sunday Cookout and The Garages Sessions, A lover of all things musical like many fortunate music enthusiasts his love of music was passed down from his parents. This multifaceted selector is dedicated & a constantly surprising talent
DR.SG is Born and raised in Soweto from the humble streets of pimville. A jazz and all things under the sun coordinator, An extremist with art and music. Co-Founder of Deepsoulja/Deepsoulja Fridays and a podcast Deepsoulja Radio network. Dr.SG is a storyteller through his musical selection
Thuli Majozi is a female Deejay who plays music from all walks of life. She loves music mostly Nu Jazz, African ancestral jazz, spiritual Jazz and Malombo just to mention a few. She is an introvert. She describes the music that she plays as African Jazz. Thuli Majozi as she is formally known considers herself as a versatile entertainer who does not believe in limiting oneself.
Advocating the colour that music should add to our existence, Zwingy attributes her foray into alternative sounds to her father's influence while growing up in Tembisa. Believing in balance, Zwingy is a chartered accountant by day, advocating for the empowerment of females in finance through AWCA. After hours, Zwingy is a "hotelier" at the Hotel Rwanda Sunday Cookout, a monthly functional collaboration between vinyl collectors/spinners and african cuisine cooked with love.
A music fan first, hailing from Kwa-Thema in the Eastern Region of Johannesburg, Tinkla emerged as a spinner (DJ) in the early years of the millennium, 2003 to be exact. Tinkla’s early appearances as Dj where house parties as they were a platform to showcase his craft, obviously house music was like the back track of that era, mainly pumped by commercial radio stations locally and nationwide. Collecting music from House Afrika and SoulCandi Records exposed him to a lot of people in the industry and gave him an extensive outlook of music
My name is Potledi Mabelebele but popularly known as BELLS. I'm based in Johannesburg, but I grew up in Polokwane, Limpopo. I've been a DJ and music collector for over 20 years.I also run a sound production company called Rossants Sounds.
“Avant Garde Jazz unpacks Jazz as medium of psychological self-care and the casual relationship it shares with the psycho-social stages of development. With references from Fanon, Heidegger, Nietzsche, Freire and Freudian literature and how jazz was/is a liberation tool for black peoples silent voices.”
Growing up on an eclectic diet of Jazz and Soul provided by his parents’ record collection, St. Jones is hard to pin down musically. Inspired by his family’s love of music, St Jones took up DJing at the age of 10 and started playing around with his father’s Jazz LPs, it was only a few years later that St. Jones discovered House music.
Wenawedwa Mmutlane A lover of life, flower child,collector and selector who aims to heal through music. She has learnt and discovered a lot about herself and wishes to extend her teachings through her music. Wenawedwa is a firm believer of “The universe gives back, what you give to it”,
Bongani GiveThanks (born Bongani Sibanyoni) is an artist from South Africa. In 2009 he enrolled for part-time Jazz classes. In 2014, he joined an Afro band named Rhythm Kulcha Afrika and co-founded a jazz band called New Dawn as a pianist. A year later, he worked with a few artists from the township and formed a band called The Kudos.
Born and raised in Kagiso. Music has always been part of his family. Music beyond genre, beyond colour, beyond skin and beyond religion. The most wonderful thing about jazz is its timeless effect it possess. I believe the real purpose of Jazz comes alive when we shared it amongst appreciative ears. It becomes a rare privilege when anyone sincerely appreciates what I share from my heart.
House Queen Bucie Nkomo tells more about what heritage means to her and at Jazz On the Lake, @ArtsAlive2019 The perfect way to usher in Spring time!
Tamy Moyo is a Zimbabwean singer, songwriter and guitarist known mostly for her 2016 song Ndibereke. She is one of Zimbabwe's youngest and she was representing her homeland of Zimbabwe in a spectacular way at the Jazz On The Lake 2019.
AyaZungu the 31 year old graphic design graduate and photographer says her sound has chosen her. she attests that the sound slants more to urban/Neo Soul. AyaZungu, however, believes that she has not even scratched the surface in quest to unearth the vast talent and sound bestowed to her.
I have seven senses and sound is one of them. but first let me let you in on something, I'm a lover of music first before a spinner. I love music so much and one day I'll be able to capture the feeling music gives me so you'd see how much music makes me feel.
Kabelo Phalatse aka Lady Lounge hails from Pretoria . Her love for music started at a young age and being from a family of Dj's and music fanatics , there was no way that she could escape the bug. She plays acid jazz , nu jazz , bossa nova and easy listening / ambient lounge music.
Lesedi SediSoul Mphou God fearing. Free spirited, daughter, lover, friend. A lover of art in all forms. Music Enthusiast & co-founder
Muriel Mokgathi-Mvubu known as MoAfrika ‘a Mokgathi is a Mamelodi born, South African based multifaceted artist. She is a Writer, Poet, Performer, theatre Actress, translator, cultural activist, teaching artist, Arts codes adjudicator, Bandleader, Curator, award-winning Radio Presenter/Producer (Unisa Radio) and a serial civic leader amongst many in her talent hat.
Buhle Lekokotla an advocate, shortlisted on South Africa's best and brightest. Woman in Jazz ; digressing onto Matriarchy ,Pan Africanism Karl Marx, Industry 4.0 in a developing country , Egyptian Empresses particularly Cleopatra and Thomas Sankara take on the emancipation of woman , inter Alia
Dr T enjoys a variety of musical genres, especially the type that is produced through the manipulation of an instrument.As a child, having lunch whilst tinkering on the family telefunken searching for the perfect beat was one of the most existential moments.Jazz, through its varied musical scales that are improvisational, is a way of life, probably the most aleatoric music. Born Thabiso Eldridge Sebako in the township of Soshanguve, Sebaco B’Jazzled got his love for music through his three uncles during every family gathering with their huge collection of Jazz, Soul and Funk. However, Jazz (in its various sub-genres of Blues, Fusion/Smooth and Acid Jazz) dominated the speakers, blasting it especially throughout the festive season at his grandparents’ house. At that moment he did not realise the seed being planted that will determine the kind of style he will play at a later stage as a Dj.
Kulani Shimati is employed in the financial services industry. An avid reader, runner and cyclist and also crazy about jazz music. He is inspired by what some will refer to as classical jazz musicians, likes of Joe Henderson; Wayne Shorter; Hank Mobley; Keith Jarret; Lee Morgan; Freddie Hubbard; Archie Shepp, just to mention but a few.
Avant Garde Jazz breaks down the topic “So what about Jazz Networks?”. By defining networks and indulging on the contentious Jazz definition
Patrick Baatile “Dockey” Tladi. I was born and raised in Ga-rankuwa, Pretoria. I grew up mostly in Ga-rankuwa and surrounding areas and matriculated there as well. Patrick career has mainly been in the ICT sector, having worked on many multinational (OEM) companies and local system integration companies in mainly a sales and business development role. I’m still in the ICT sector in many various role and he still collect and will always collect all kinds of music, be it old school and a lot new music as well
DJ Spinna(New York City) Avant Garde Troupe, One of the crucial characteristics of jazz in a working class is its search for the new. As a music of individual and collective self expression, which stresses each player working out a personal voice and style, it has always striven to deepen its language and move beyond previous boundaries. That development has always been collective, musicians learning with and from each other. Dj Spinna is going back to the MOTHERLAND. It's been far too long since my last visit. When I arrive I will kiss the ground. South Africa, see you soon
Avant Garde interpreted it as Jazz in the Society. Indulging in Mama Miriam Makeba‘s contribution to South Africa’s liberation during the Apartheid era in the 1960’s. As well as the Liberation of Women in the 1920’s, recognizing them beyond their traditional sex role designated by society. We will explore further on what the working class refers to, the dissection was that it refers to a way of life