Siya Charles Sextet

ABOUT

Siya Charles is a tenor/ bass trombonist, composer and arranger based in Cape

Town, South Africa. An alumni of the University of Cape Town’s South African

College of Music, she has worked with the likes of Hugh Masekela, Jimmy Dludlu,

American/Costa Rican trombonist Luis Bonilla, American trombonist Steve Turre,

award-winning saxophonist Chad LB, Lira, Simphiwe Dana, Freshly Ground,

Amanda Tiffin, Melanie Scholtz, Marcus Wyatt, Andile Yenana and Feya Faku. Siya

has performed in the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, Standard Bank Joy of

Jazz Festival, Grahamstown Jazz Festival, Arcevia Jazz Feast (Italy), Stockholm

Jazz Festival (Sweden), Kongsberg Jazz Festival (Norway), Blue Note Jazz Club

(USA), Calabar Jazz Festival (Nigeria), Standard Bank Acacia Jazz Festival

(Moçambique), Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland) and the Jazz is Back Festival

(Croatia).

After many years of serving as a reliable sideman, she has established her newly

formed musical collective titled: "The Siya Charles Sextet", featuring some of Cape

Town's finest jazz musicians. The band comprises of Blake Hellaby on piano,

Sibusiso Matsimela on double and electric bass, Kurt Bowers on drums, Zeke le

Grange on tenor saxophone, and Darren English on trumpet. The compositions and

arrangements of The Siya Charles Sextet are inspired by classic jazz, South African

jazz, the bebop and post-bop era, as well as Brazilian jazz. The sound of the

collective is held together by the combination of a rock-solid rhythm section as well

as a well-blended horn section that produces pleasant harmonies.

DIRECTIONS