Stellenbosch University
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In Celebration of Women Jazz Concert
Start: 20/09/2020, 16:00
End: 27/09/2020, 23:30
Contact:Fiona Grayer - 0218082358
Location: Online

​​In Celebration of Women, the Endler Concert Series is proud to present the Stellenbosch University (SU) Jazz Band led by Felicia Lesch featuring jazz pianist Ramon Alexander, jazz vocalists Anneli Kamfer and Zinzi Carolissen, as well as poetry by Jolyn Phillips.​

This concert aims to raise much needed funds for the Stellenbosch Work Centre for Adult Persons with Disabilities, who annually partner with the SU Jazz Band. Donations will be possible via SnapScan and EFT and all contributions from the audience go directly to the Stellenbosch Work Centre.

Felicia Lesch is passionate about music as a vehicle for social change and formed the SU Jazz Band as one of the ensembles of the SU Music Department's Certificate Programme. This concert features ever-popular swing tunes It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing, and Mr Bojangles. Anneli Kamfer will be doing her soul-strut in Strong enough and Natural Woman. The programme also features a celebration of South African Jazz standards, including works arranged by Mike Campbell such as Bra Ben and Snoektown, Doug Armstrong's Rio de Heusos and Waiting for Phoebe, and Bheki Mselekhu's Vukani, arranged by Claire Rontsch. Zinzi Carolissen and Ramon Alexander will perform their own compositions.

Guest artist Ramon Alexander studied jazz piano under Merton Barrow at The Jazz Workshop in Cape Town and has worked with a variety of South African jazz legends such as Robbie Jansen, Errol Dyers, McCoy Mrubata, Mark Hauser, Tuur Forizone  and Frank Paco's Art Ensemble, to name a few. He has released three albums: Picnic at Kontiki [2011] and Echoes from Louwskloof [2015]. In 2018 Cape Jazz Piano was released by Mountain Records.

Jazz vocalists Anneli Kamfer and Zinzi Carolissen are both past students of the Certificate Programme and former singers with the SU Jazz Band. Anneli was a band member of Manouche and is now pursuing a solo career and Zinzi is currently studying at the Berkeley College of Music in Boston.

Author and poet Jolyn Phillips completed a Masters in Creative Writing and is currently studying towards a PhD in Creative Writing at UJ. Her short stories and poetry have been published in numerous journals and anthologies.

Stellenbosch University Jazz Band has gained a reputation for vibrant and energetic performances, and have performed in concert with several of South Africa's jazz legends such as Sibongile Khumalo, Gloria Bosman, Amanda Strydom, Judith Sephuma, and Tutu Puoane, to name a few.

The concert is generously supported by SAMRO and ConcertsSA and will be broadcast on Sunday 20 September at 4pm and will be available online until Sunday 27 September.