Newport Live presents: Mandla Mlangeni – Jazz From South Africa
April 20, 2024 8:00 pm Griswold House
Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of South African Independence
Newport Live is back at the Museum with a live concert by South African trumpet-player, composer and bandleader of exceptional originality and craft, Mandla Mlangeni, a demonstrated talent on the international stage.
Recognized in 2019 as the Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year for Jazz, one of South Africa’s highest accolades, this concert is one of several Newport Live is bringing to Newport to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of South African Independence.
Mlangeni leads various creative and critically acclaimed projects. The Tune Recreation Committee made their debut appearance at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival and then had their album ‘Voices of Our Vision’ listed as on the New York Times’ Best Albums for 2017. The Amandla Freedom Ensemble has released two albums including the SAMA nominated ‘Bhekisizwe’, named after Mlangeni’s activist and lawyer father who was assassinated by apartheid forces. Mlangeni also leads the Swiss-based Birdsong Ensemble, and has played or collaborated with legends such as David Murray (US), Evan Parker (UK), Feya Faku, Hugh Masekela and Shabaka Hutchings (UK).
Many of Mlangeni’s compositions are rooted deeply in a consciousness of social discourse, a sense of pride and a celebration of being black, being African. On stage though, Mlangeni has a vibrant energy, an infectious smile and an irrepressible sense of fun that has the audience with him from the first to the last note. His trumpet playing stretches from the wistful melancholia of rainy day jazz, through to foot tapping, hip-swinging tunes that evoke the best of South African jazz, and onto musical experimentations that add dashes of influence from Balkan and Electro to Free Jazz.
Tickets are $35, cash bar. 
About Newport Live
Celebrating diverse music traditions through vibrant performances.
Newport Live was previously known as Common Fence Music, originally established by Ed Nary in 1993 to make folk music accessible in Portsmouth, RI. Decades later, our concert series has evolved to providing diverse music across Newport County, continuing to attract audiences from all over New England to performances featuring GRAMMY award-winning songwriters and musicians, and other highly acclaimed music artists from across the globe.