AfroJazz

Beatrice “Sathima Bea” Benjamin (17 October 1936 – 20 August 2013) was a South African vocalist and composer, based for nearly 45 years in New York City. Originally recorded and released in 1976 on Rashid Vally's As-Shams (Sun) label.

The aptly titled “The Trance of Seven Colors” ranks among the best Gnawa recordings ever released… Listen to Maleem Mahmoud Ghania with Pharoah Sanders.

“Roforofo” means “muddy” in Yoruba. The 7 musicians composing Roforofo Jazz, a Parisian collective, mix Afrobeat, Jazz, Funk and Rap.

Inspired by the work of great musicians like Jonas Gwangwa and his Amandla Cultural Ensemble, who did important political work during South Africa’s long struggle for self-determination, the Amandla Freedom Ensemble is an important milestone in the South African jazz tradition. The album “Oratorio of a Forgotten Youth” was launched at a major concert that combined music and visual arts.

The quintessential South African jazz man, Herbie Tsoaeli is a largely self-taught bass virtuoso from Nyanga East, in Cape Town – one of the more politically charged black locations in the Western Cape. Coming from this community at the forefront of producing South Africa’s rich jazz legacy, rooted in his biographical experiences, his music is a nuanced expression of the black community.

While the Tree-O’s previous outing UMDALI presented a snapshot of an inspired few days of spontaneity, TRUE STORY is a more deliberately crafted opus. Recorded in Johannesburg over three sessions between December 2020 and April 2021 and further polished for months in post-production sessions in 2023, the record is synesthetically vivid throughout, thanks in part to its thoughtful sequencing.