“Thank you, India! You were so good to us. IKS Cultural Consulting, [you] guys rock!” Volley Nchabeleng and Dumza Maswana at the Ruhaniyat Festival.
The World Jazz Network (WJN) is building bridges for a World Music and Jazz Festivals Network in India with South African and Dutch Jazz Artists.
The World Jazz Network was started in November 2020 by Netherlands musician and festival organiser Alexander Beets and IKS’s Andre Le Roux. For the past 5 years, the Network has pulled World Music and Jazz Festival promoters and organizers from over 30 countries. The original objective was to lay a foundation for artists’ mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic when there was no mobility. The network has continued to build a world music and Jazz family to connect Jazz festivals around the world to create programmes that can create mutual benefit for them and their artists.
One of the partnerships developed has been between Banyan Tree Events (India) a cultural initiative founded in 1996 by Mr. Mahesh Babu and Ms. Nandini Mahesh, JazzNL and the IKS Team. In 2023 IKS facilitated the travels of Volley Nchabeleng and Dumza Maswana to participate in the cultural activations of the G20 summit. Nchabeleng and Maswana became a highlight amongst their fellow musicians as they promoted their knowledge of South Africa’s unique indigenous musical culture. The impact of their involvement stimulated Banyan Tree to re-invite them to the TCS Ruhaniyat Festival in January 2024.
Ruhaniyat is the flagship festival of Banyan Tree and marks a significant milestone in the realm of cultural convergence. As part of Banyan Tree’s commitment to discover, preserve, nurture, and celebrate extraordinary creative expressions they have established six national festivals held each year in 18 cities across India. These festivals serve as platforms for showcasing the diverse and rich cultural tapestry that spans their nation.
Artists who have benefited from this collaboration include numerous Dutch artists and South Africans, including musicians Jody Fredericks Ntando Ngcapu and McCoy Mrubata.
‘South African music is fantastic and the rest of the world is realising this.’ said the WJN’s Alexander Beets. ‘From Amapiano musicians leading in the electronic music sector to their Jazz and indigenous musicians inspiring colleagues around the world, South Africa continues to capture new audiences and new markets.’
Apart from the artists above, the IKS team is proud to have facilitated the mobility of leading South African artists at World Jazz Network events. Some of the participants include Bokani Dyer, Zoe Modiga, Darren English, Keorapetse Kolwane, Jodi Fredericks, Ntando Ngcapu, Thandi Ntuli, Keenan Ahrends, Benjamin Jephta, Sphelelo Mazibuko, Karendra Devroop, Concord Nkabinde, Roland Moses, Mageshen Naidoo, Mandla Mlangeni, Mccoy Mrubata, and Mantwa Chinoamadi.
