News & Media
Unisa CD takes wings around the world
“A great initiative showcasing great musical talent from our beautiful country,” says Bradley Brouwer, Head of Global Trade of South African Tourism, of the South African Jazz Songbook CD, part of a project between the Unisa Music Foundation and the United States Embassy in Pretoria.
Both cultural collaboration and cultural preservation, the CD features living artists who re-recorded some of South Africa’s landmark jazz compositions arranged for saxophone, full orchestra, piano, bass, and drums, inspired by Professor Karéndra Devroop, Acting Director of Unisa’s Music Directorate.
SA Tourism has identified the recording as a historic work to emanate from the country and has sent the South African Jazz Songbook and the DVD of the live concert to over 80 SA embassies and missions across the world for staff to play at events highlighting South Africa. Says Devroop: “This alone is a gigantic endorsement and speaks well for Unisa and the work we are doing to preserve and promote South African culture.”
Dr Faroon Goolam, University Registrar, concurs, saying that this global exposure of Unisa is a remarkable achievement.
The CD features five American jazz artists, James Ford (trumpet), Chris Anderson (trombone), Bob Ferrazza (guitar), Michael Orenstein (piano), and Emma Adomeit (bass). They were joined by two of South Africa’s premier jazz artists, Devroop (saxophone) and Kevin Gibson (drums), and the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra conducted by Gerben Grooten.
Download your copy now
According to Devroop, the CD/DVD is available in stores and online at sites such as Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play. Since the entire project was fully funded through an external grant, financially the recording is generating third-stream income for the university because royalties are split between the composers and Unisa.
“Funds generated from sales are coming directly back to Unisa for use in future projects. Personally, I think more projects such as this could have tremendous impact on our third-stream income while serving the dual purpose of preserving culture and collaboration with the music industry and organisations from abroad,” he enthuses.
In flight and on air around the world
Apart from mandating that missions abroad play the audio and video recordings at all South African mission-organised events in an effort to promote SA music, SA Tourism will promote the South African Jazz Songbook at all provincial tourism authorities, and liaise with SAA to include it in their inflight entertainment and inflight magazine. It will also facilitate meetings with the National Conventions Bureau and with Meetings Africa, SA Tourism Services Association, and TourVest (over 850 tourism-affiliated hotels, conventions and organisations) to have it available at airport curio stores and inflight shopping.
Devroop says that he is ecstatic that the South African Jazz Songbook CD is generating widespread publicity nationally and internationally and that it has been picked up for radio airplay in several countries, including South Africa. “We are also working with several organisations, including SAA, DSTV, and MNET, to get the CD and DVD onto audio and visual platforms across the country. There is widespread enthusiasm.”
*By Sharon Farrell
Publish date: 2018-11-13 00:00:00.0
Seven Unisans nominated for the NSTF-South32 Awards 2023/2024
Unisa awards posthumous honorary doctorate to literary maven, OK Matsepe
From humble beginnings to academic leadership
Community champion and agricultural entrepreneur extraordinaire honoured by Unisa
Ghanaian-born Swede earns PhD in Information Sciences from Unisa