All-female jazz band Heels over Head visits CPT, in association with concerts SA
iSupport Music Business in partnership with Concerts SA presents the Cape Town – Durban collaboration tour of all-female jazz band Heels over Head.
The band will be in Cape Town for various concerts from Friday 13 July to Sunday 15 July, as part of the celebration of the band’s 10-year anniversary this year.
From winning the Yamaha Young Talent Award in 2010 to independently releasing two music projects and being nominated for the SAMA Awards (2011) Best Contemporary Jazz Album early on in their career as a band. Heels Over Head has kept their footing firmly on the ground, with new compositions touring within the S.A borders and the Southern African region, connecting and building a fan base. The hard work sometimes can go unnoticed, but sometimes opportunities are made to present themselves through the band continuing to persevere, soldiering on with the music. Recently they got an opportunity to go to the USA in New Orleans for the 2017 Essence Music Festival. This has only added to the enthusiasm that fuels their passion for music.
The band aims to empower women in this industry and have a history of effectively doing this. Many members that played in Heels over Head in the past now have successful solo careers. The members individually are also all involved in motivation of young female musicians through teaching and mentorships.
“The girls”, as they are affectionately known, were booked for their first performance in August 2008 when they entered the music industry as young upcoming jazz band consisting of music students from the University of KwaZulu Natal.
Today, this is 10 years ago and the ladies organised a collaboration tour to celebrate, the girls aim to celebrate their 10 year anniversary and want to, at the same time, keep offering stages for young talents in jazz. This is why this tour is an exchange between female musicians from Cape Town and Durban. Vocalist Zama and drummer Doty from Durban will be joined by Cape Town based Nobuhle Ashanti on keys, Tracey Johannes on bass guitar and Arianna Carini on guitar.
For vocalist and founder Thulile Zama, one of the highlights of their career is the fact they managed to stay together for 10 years,
“there are not so many bands who have survived over the years,”
she says.
“We have worked for many years to create opportunities for ourselves. It has been a great experience, at times enriching and at times humbling and we are planning to continue working on offering platforms for female musicians.”
Drummer Rebekah Doty adds:
“We want to be an example to other female musicians and show them that everything is possible. We have performed for so many different audiences throughout the years. Still being together after 10 years is a great motivation to keep the band going.”
Heels over Head Cape Town Tour is supported by Concerts SA through the Music Mobility Fund, a funding mechanism which offers opportunities for South African musicians to undertake live music tours. Additional support is provided by Yamaha South Africa.
About Heels over Head
Heels over Head is an all-female jazz band from the shores of Durban, South Africa. The love of jazz music weaved these girls together towards to end of 2008 to form this unique musical force. Since 2008 the girls are always occupied with composing, rehearsing and recording new music and with lots of performances around KwaZulu-Natal and the country. Their music is referred to as smooth jazz or easy-breezy pop jazz, they developed a notable and clever signature sound that consists of current African-influenced music and uniquely re-arranged standards. The band is known for making the audience get on their feet and dance to their rhythmic bass lines and their cheerful melodies.
About Concerts SA
Concerts SA is a joint South African/Norwegian live music development project housed within the SAMRO Foundation. Concerts SA receives financial, administrative and technical support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, SAMRO, the SAMRO Foundation and Concerts Norway. Working with musicians, promoters, venue owners and audiences, and providing support to the sector through research and skills development for music professionals, the project aims to build a vibrant and viable live music circuit in southern Africa. It also aims to develop an interest in and appreciation of live music by showcasing music performances and conducting workshops at schools. For more information please visit our website http://concertssa.co.za, follow @ConcertsSA on Twitter at twitter.com/ConcertsSA or like us on Facebook at facebook.com/ConcertsSA.
