For Immediate Release
Jazz at Lincoln Center CELEBRATES SOUTH AFRICAN JAZZ and Democracy in APRIL
Hugh Masekela: Celebrating 75 Years in Rose Theater, April 4–5, 2014
Uhadi: All-Stars of Johannesburg Jazz featuring Sibongile Khumalo in Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, April 3–6, 2014
New York, NY – March 6, 2014 – To celebrate his 75th birthday and mark the 20th anniversary of a democratic South Africa, the legendary trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer, and lyricist Hugh Masekela presents a retrospective extravaganza in Rose Theater on April 4–5. Joined by associates from various stages of his career, Masekela will explore his fascination with swing and bebop, as well as his deep roots in the Zulu folkloric strains that coalesced into the mbaqanga township dance bands music of his homeland.
Exiled from South Africa for three decades, in 1990 Masekela returned home, following the unbanning of the African National Congress and the release of Nelson Mandela – an event anticipated in his anti-apartheid anthem ‘Bring Home Nelson Mandela’ (1986), which had been a rallying cry around the world. His solo career has spanned five decades, during which time he has released over 40 albums (and been featured on countless more) and has worked with such diverse artists as Harry Belafonte, Dizzy Gillespie, Fela Kuti, Marvin Gaye, Herb Alpert, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and the late Miriam Makeba.
As he approaches his 75th birthday, Masekela shows no signs of slowing down. As is Masekela’s custom, for these concerts at Jazz at Lincoln Center, personal considerations will operate in the context of his ongoing quest to document, as he puts it, “the amazing diversity and unfathomable excellence of the African diaspora’s cultural heritage.” Tickets for ‘Hugh Masekela: Celebrating 75 Years’ start at $30.
From Thursday through Sunday, April 3–6, Jazz at Lincoln Center also welcomes Uhadi: All-Stars of Johannesburg Jazz to Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola. Featuring the incomparable Sibongile Khumalo, one of South Africa’s most celebrated and beloved vocal divas, Uhadi makes its U.S. debut. Saxophonist McCoy Mrubata serves as the group’s musical director, joined by trumpeter Feya Faku, pianist Paul Hanmer, bassist Herbie Tsoaeli, and drummer Justin Badenhorst. Uhadi’s performances at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola are a part of a two-week residency organized by Jazz at Lincoln Center that includes a variety of educational workshops and performances at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, the Catskill Jazz Factory, Bearsville Theater, and more. Tickets for their performances at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola start at $35.
Jazz at Lincoln Center is located at Broadway at 60th Street, New York, New York. Tickets to Rose Theater can be purchased through jazz.org 24 hours a day or CenterCharge at 212-721-6500, open daily from 10am to 9pm. Tickets can also be purchased at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office, located on Broadway at 60th Street, ground floor. Box Office hours: Monday–Saturday from 10am to 6pm (or 30 minutes past curtain) and Sunday from noon to 6pm (or 30 minutes past curtain).
For Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola reservations, call (212) 258-9595 or visit www.jazz.org/dizzys. Dinner served nightly. General Admission: $20-$45 (unless noted otherwise); students: $5-$25 with valid student ID (selected sets only).
Many of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s concerts stream live in high-definition audio and video for free to a global audience. Please visit new.livestream.com/jazz for webcasts and schedule. The concerts will also be available on Livestream’s mobile and connected TV applications with real-time DVR, chat, photos and other materials available to fans worldwide.
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2013-14 Concert and Education Season boasts a diverse range of artistry and embodies the concept “all jazz is modern.” Click here for the complete season schedule.
Jazz at Lincoln Center proudly acknowledges its major corporate partners: Bloomberg, Brooks Brothers, The Coca-Cola Company, Con Edison, Entergy, HSBC Premier, MasterCard®, The Shops at Columbus Circle at Time Warner Center, and SiriusXM.