Iconic South African trumpeter Feya Faku will be performing in Grahamstown on Tuesday, accompanied by Andre Petersen on piano.
Iconic South African trumpeter Feya Faku will be performing in Grahamstown on Tuesday, accompanied by Andre Petersen on piano.
The jazz concert in Rhodes University’s Beethoven Room, at the department of music and musicology, will start at 7.30pm.
Entrance is R50, or R20 for concessions.
Faku was born in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, a region that has a reputation for producing some of South Africa’s greatest jazz musicians.
He started playing without any formal training and received theory and practical lessons from various artists around Port Elizabeth.
He later completed a Performers Diploma in Jazz Studies at the University of Natal.
Faku has been associated with many international and South African jazz musicians including Abdhullah Ibrahim, Bheki Mseleku, Winston Mankunku, Barney Rachabane, Duke Makasi and many others.
Feya’s contribution as a band leader, composer and trumpet player testifies to his dedication to Jazz as an evolving art form. Faku cites South Africa’s “gentle genius”, Bheki Mseleku as a mentor and spiritual influence in his career.
Petersen is an award-winning South African pianist, composer and educator who played an important role in the post-apartheid generation of musicians.
Petersen studied classical piano at the University of Cape Town College of Music and completed his Unisa Teacher’s Licentiate in 2002.
In 2011 he graduated with a Masters degree (Jazz Studies) from the prestigious Lemmens Instituut in Belgium (Cum Laude).
His recording and performance credits include working with Stefon Harris, Marcus Strickland, Reggie Washington, Dave Liebman, Zap Mama and many others.
Petersen has also worked with some of South Africa’s leading musicians including Winston Mankunku, Robbie Jansen, Errol Dyers, Makaya Nshotko and many others.
He has held posts as piano lecturer at the UCT and University of the Western Cape Performing Arts Centre.
Petersen has also conducted Masterclasses at the Oslo Conservatory of Music, NJF Improvisation Seminar (Norway) and other parts of Europe.
Petersen was awarded first prize in the 2009 SAMRO Overseas Piano Scholarship Competition and received a special award recognition at the 2010 Martial Solal International Jazz Piano Competition, held in Paris, France.
Faku will lead a jazz improvisation masterclass at 8.40am on Wednesday.
For more information about the concert or masterclass, call Jared Lang at 046 603 8490 or email j.lang@ru.ac.za.
