McCoy Mrubata and the Unity Band
Sun Jul 29, 16:00 - Sun Jul 29, 19:00
Guga S'thebe, Dr Langalibalele Drive, Langa
ABOUT
Jazz in the Native Yards in collaboration with ConcertsSA presents one of South Africa's favourite saxophonist McCoy Mrubata on Sunday 29 July at Guga S’thebe in Langa from 4pm.Concerts SA, gives an opportunity for creative performance interchange between South African rising stars and those from Austria.
McCoy will perform and record with young and old Cape musicians. At this time he performs with a young band called The Unity Band which he met a few years ago through the Native Yard Jazz sessions when he performed at Jazz in the Native Yards’s circuit of concerts.
He will perform with Steve De Souza (bass), Lonwabo Mafani (piano), Marco Maritz (trumpet), Lumanyano Mzi (drums), Dylan Fine (guitar), Thandeka Dladla (vocals) and Lalavan Gangen on percussions.
"I felt in love with their sound, energy and musicality. I was also very impressed with their drummer, Lumanyano’s leadership skills", says McCoy.
"I'll also be in the studio recording with the band ( Unity Band ), Bongani Sotshononda , Daluxolo Hoho. I’ll also be recording with the legendary Roger Khoza who will be a very special guest on the album and we’ll do one of his compositions"
"For the concerts at Alma Café in Roseband and Guga S’thebe in Langa, I plan to please my Cape Town fans by revisiting popular songs like Cape Samba and Mr And Mrs Adonis. I’ll also introduce songs that are going to be on my forthcoming album Brasskap Sessions Volume,”he explains/
Now based in Johannesburg McCoy recently launched his DVD, McCoy Mrubata Live at the Market Theatre. The DVD was shot in 2015 during the International Jazz Day launch last year as part of the celebrations. In 2016 he was part of a South African Dutch exchange band that performed at the Amersfoort Jazz Jazz Festival Netherlands. He has also released a CD that was recorded last year In Switzerland called McCoy Mrubata Live at the Bird’s Eye Jazz Club.
McCoy Mrubata grew up in Cape Town’s historic Langa township, South Africa surrounded with the sounds of African music: the soulful hymns of the Zion Church, the chants and rhythms of traditional healers and the brassy jive of the Merry Macs band who rehearsed opposite his home. When schooling became impossible in the fiery aftermath of the 1976 uprising, the young McCoy then playing flute studied informally under Langa greats like Madoda Gxabeka, Winston Ngozi , the Ngcukana brothers, Ezra and Duke, Blackie Tempi and Robert Sithole.
In the early 1980s he was playing in cover bands like Fever, Touch , Airborne and Vukani, from there he moved to crossover outfit Louis and the Jive. In 1987 McCoy was spotted by bandleader Sipho Hotstix Mabuse who helped him make Joburg his home. In 1988 he joined PJ Powers band and also that year McCoy was sported by veteran producer Koloi Lebona who offered him a recording deal with a British based record company Zomba Records the same record company had produced music for, amongst others: Jonathan Butler and Billy Ocean. McCoy’s debut album, Firebird was released the following year.
In 1989 he formed Brotherhood, which also included guitarist Jimmy Dludlu pianist Nhlanhla Magagula and Lucas Khumalo and later Moses Molelekwa. In 1990 the band won the Gilbey’s Music for Africa competition.
In 1992 he began touring with Hugh Masekela’s Lerapo, alongside guitarist Lawrence Matshiza and pianist, the late Moses Molelekwa among others. He also created his own bands, Cape to Cairo and McCoy and Friends. In the mid 1990s, he made the first of a series of albums as leader for the independent Sheer Sound label: Tears of Joy. The personnel of Friends, including pianist Paul Hanmer, bassist Andre Abrahamse and trombonist Jabu Magubane among others have formed a consistent team of collaborators for McCoy. Since those days, more albums have followed: Phosa Ngasemva, Hoelykit, Face the Music which won the 2003 South African Music Award in the Traditional Jazz category and Icamagu Livumile which won the same award in 2005, as well as the compilation CD – Best of the Early Years. Brasskap Sessions Volume 1 won the 2008 award.