Melvis Santa Live in Cape Town with the TAJE Band & Guest Artists

The TransAtlantic Jazz Exchange (TAJE) opens its 2026 Artist-in-Residence programme with a special kick-off concert in Cape Town, welcoming internationally acclaimed Afro-Cuban artist Melvis Santa to South Africa. This opening night is both a celebration and a gathering — bringing together Melvis Santa, the TAJE Band, and a circle of South African artist-friends to share music rooted in transatlantic rhythm, voice, improvisation, and lineage. The concert marks the beginning of a two-week journey across Cape Town, Barrydale, and Johannesburg, where music becomes a space for exchange, listening, and collective welcome. Audiences can expect original compositions, spontaneous collaborations, and the blending of Afro-Cuban and South African jazz traditions — setting the tone for the residency ahead.

Expect an evening of Afro-Cuban & South African jazz dialogues, original compositions & improvisation, rooted in rhythm, voice and connection.

Melvis Santa

Vocals • Piano • Percussion | Cuba / USA

Singer, composer, pianist, batá drummer, and award-winning educator Melvis Santa is known for her powerful multidisciplinary artistry rooted in Afro-Cuban tradition and contemporary jazz. Born and raised in Havana, she rose to prominence at age 14 as founder of the all-female vocal quartet Sexto Sentido, praised by Chucho Valdés as “the best Cuban vocal quartet of the past 30 years.”. She later toured internationally as lead vocalist of Cuba’s seminal Timba-Funk collective Interactivo, before launching a solo career. Her debut album Santa Habana received a CUBADISCO nomination, and her recent project Jazz Orishas explores women’s perspectives within Afro-Cuban jazz legacy. Now based in New York, Melvis performs and teaches internationally and has been a featured vocalist with Kenny Garrett’s Sounds From The Ancestors since 2021 — becoming the first vocalist to officially join his touring band. Her work bridges Afro-Cuban spirituality, Black diasporic storytelling, and improvisation with depth and clarity.

TAJE Band

Chantal Willie-Petersen

Vocals • Double bass • Musical Direction

A South African vocalist, educator, and cultural practitioner, Chantal Willie-Petersen is known for her work across jazz, heritage music, and community-centred performance. Her practice centres voice as memory, resistance, and storytelling, and she plays a key leadership role within TAJE’s artistic direction.

Mark Fransman

Saxophone • Keys • Musical Direction

Mark Fransman is a South African multi-instrumentalist (piano, saxophonist), composer, and educator whose work spans contemporary jazz, composition, and cross-genre collaboration. As a TAJE music director, he facilitates transatlantic dialogue through arrangement, improvisation, and mentorship.

Sphiwe Shiburi

Drums

Sphiwe Shiburi is a South African drummer whose dynamic playing draws from jazz, African rhythm, and contemporary improvisation. He anchors the TAJE ensemble with rhythmic sensitivity and openness to collaborative exchange.

Special Guest Artists

The evening also features invited South African artists and vocalists joining the stage throughout the night, reflecting TAJE’s ethos of shared space, collaboration, and musical welcome.

Join us for a warm, celebratory opening to the TAJE 2026 residency! Dinner and snacks will be available, BYOB.