Sibongile Khmalo & Jack DeJohnette (soundcheck)
@ the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre
21 November 2008

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Sibongile Khmalo biography

Multi-talented, soulful and dynamic, Sibongile Khumalo has enchanted diverse audiences all over South Africa and beyond. She interprets with integrity and poise a variety of musical genres. From traditional South African and European sounds, to jazzy melodies, she glides from world to world with specifically South African flavours. Khumalo’s immense musical capacity launched her into the limelight when she won the Standard Bank Young Artist Award at the Grahamstown Festival in 1993. She has since performed with numerous celebrated groups and artists and has graced a variety of honoured occasions, amongst them President Nelson Mandela’s 75th Birthday and 1994 Inauguration. She also led the South African and New Zealand National anthems at the world cup rugby finals in 1995.

Through the guidance of her father, professor of music Khabi Mngoma, Khumalo began her musical journey at the age of eight under Emily Motsieloa. She has since matured and refined the art which first endeared her to her hometown Soweto supporters many years ago. She holds music degrees from the University of Zululand as well as a Higher Diploma in Personnel Management. She has taught and researched music at the University of Zululand, FUBA Academy and at the Madimba Institute of African Music (based at the Funda Centre). Also acting in musicals: Marabi, Baby Come Duze, Once on this Island, and Goree (which toured Europe and the U.S.A.). Khumalo has also treated South Africans to numerous critically acclaimed performances such as The 3 Faces of Sibongile Khumalo (Kippies, Johannesburg 1992); Sibongile Khumalo in Concert (Grahamstown Festival, Market Theatre - Johannesburg, and Baxter Theatre - Cape Town 1993); performances with the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Johannesburg and Cape Town 1994 and 1995); the Brahms Alto Rhapsody (Johannesburg City Hall 1994 and Durban City Hall 1996); Sisters in Synch with Aviva Pelham (Civic Theatre - Johannesburg and Grahamstown Festival 1994) to name a few.

Ranking high on her list of 1996 music highlights is Khumalo’s debut album “Ancient Evenings” and her critically acclaimed operatic debut as Carmen (Bizet) in Durban; CD and television recordings of Mzilikazi Khumalo’s uShaka ka Senzangakhona; performing at the Two Nations Celebrate concert honouring President Mandela (Royal Albert Hall, London); the SAA/Sibongile Khumalo national tour. During April 1997, Sibongile was the mezzo-soprano soloist in the Verdi Requiem under the baton of Sir David Willcocks, during the South African tour of the London Bach Choir. Through her music, Sibongile Khumalo shares the spice, wisdom, and wealth of experience inherited from her family and community.

Jack DeJohnette biography

Born in Chicago in 1942, Jack DeJohnette is widely regarded as one of jazz music’s greatest drummers. He studied classical piano from age four until fourteen before beginning to play drums with his high school concert band and taking private piano lessons at the Chicago conservatory of music. In his early years on the Chicago scene, DeJohnette led his own groups and was equally in demand as a pianist and as a drummer. He played R & B, hard bop, and avant-garde and was active with the experimentalists of the AACM in its early days, with the likes of founder Muhal Richard Abrams, Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman. In 1966, he drummed alongside Rashied Ali in the John Coltrane Quintet. International recognition came with his tenure in the Charles Lloyd Quartet, one of the first jazz groups to receive cross-over attention, also alerting the world to Keith Jarrett's skills.

DeJohnette has collaborated with most major figures in jazz history. Some of the great talents he has worked with are John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, Sun Ra, Jackie McLean, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Keith Jarrett, Chet Baker, George Benson, Stanley Turrentine, Ron Carter, Lee Morgan, Charles Lloyd, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Abbey Lincoln, Betty Carter and Eddie Harris, who is responsible for convincing DeJohnette to stick with drums because he heard DeJohnette’s natural talent. It was in 1968 that DeJohnette joined Miles Davis’s group in time for the epochal upheaval marked by “Bitches Brew”, an album that changed the direction of jazz. Jarrett soon followed DeJohnette into the Davis group, and the drummer's first ECM recording, the duet “Rutya and Daitya” was made in 1971. Working with Miles also brought about collaborations with John McLaughlin, Chick Corea and Dave Holland. In 1968 he recorded his first album as a leader on the Milestone label, called “The DeJohnette Complex”, where Jack played melodica along with his mentor Roy Haynes on drums.

In the early 70’s he recorded two albums for Prestige, called “Sorcery” and “Cosmic Chicken”. These early sessions united Jack with Gary Peacock, Bennie Maupin, Stanley Cowell, Miroslav Vitous, Eddie Gomez, Alex Foster and Peter Warren. Later DeJohnette began to record as a leader for ECM. He has since recorded as a leader for several record labels including, Columbia, Landmark, MCA/GRP, and Toshiba/EMI/Blue Note. He is also known for his cutting edge collaborations with the likes of Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny and Bobby McFerrin to name a few.

DeJohnette has received many awards for his music, including, the prestigious French Grand Prix du Disque and Charles Cros award for “New Directions” in 1979. “Audio-Visualscapes” became album of the year in the Downbeat annual critics’ poll 1989. “Parallel Realities” won album of the year in Japan. In 1991, “Earth Walk” won album of the year and recording of the year in Japan. DeJohnette has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berkley College of Music in Boston in 1991. There is an extensive list of awards for drumming, including at least 15 years of the Downbeat polls, the NY Jazz awards, and the Jazz Central on line awards along with many international awards.

As well as his previous credentials, DeJohnette has also composed soundtracks for both TV and video. He has enjoyed a cameo appearance as a member of the “Alligator Blues Band” in the Blues Brothers 2000 movie.

Jack DeJohnette’s wide-ranging style, capable of playing in any idiom while still maintaining a well-defined voice keeps him in constant demand as a sideman. He continues to collaborate, push boundaries and record with many other music legends.