This lovingly made documentary explores the South African jazz scene of the 1950s and 60s through the music of the iconic maestro Gideon Nxumalo. The film aims to dispel crude misunderstandings of the aesthetics of jazz and its relationship to traditional African music, while documenting the complex and powerful musical form and acknowledging its roots in African-American culture. Featuring interviews with some of the leading figures in the jazz scene, the film offers insights into a world that has now faded from view but whose cultural legacy lives on in some of the most vibrantly beautiful music ever to be recorded. This is a must-watch for serious jazz fans, while it will open the eyes and minds of those for whom jazz has become synonymous with generic elevator music.
Availability &
Screening Time:
Director(s):
Glenn Ujebe Masokoane
Country:
South Africa
Year:
2020
Running Time:
78 min
Language(s):
English
