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Lungile Kunene
Malcolm Jiyane Tree-O: True Story
by Chris May
One of the minor but intriguing mysteries of modern culture is why the trombone is commonplace in African American music yet only rarely heard in Africa itself. Since its earliest days, jazz in the US has featured the trombone, as did ska in Jamaica. In analog-age samba and bossa nova in Brazil, the instrument was practically de rigueur. There are other examples. But trombones are only occasionally heard in African music, even with bandleaders who featured large horn sections. Ghana's ...
Continue ReadingMalcolm Jiyane Tree-O: Umdali
by Ian Patterson
Umdali may be the debut as leader of South African trombonist and visual artist Malcolm Jiyane (Tree-O is the name of his band), but one listen to the music--somber and uplifting in turn, gossamer soft and rousing at the poles--is sufficient to recognize his singular talent. Recorded in Johannesburg at the tail end of 2018 with some of Soweto's finest young jazz musicians, Jiyane's soulful, richly layered compositions are deeply rooted in African traditions, though with obvious knowledge of, and ...
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