CELEBRATED, award-winning jazz singer/composer/trumpeter Mandisi Dyantyis and his newly formed 18-piece Jazz orchestra are coming to the Theatre Of Marcellus, Emperors Palace, in Johannesburg from November 11 to 12 for what is to be two special, never-to-be-repeated nights of musical excellence.
Dyantyis debuted the show with the orchestra at the Artscape in Cape Town, and Johannesburg music lovers have since been asking for it.
Known for his unmatched vocal superiority, Dyantyis’ shows are always a sold-out affair, with revellers singing from the first note to the last.
His first album, “Somandla”, with songs such as Molo, Olwethu, Ndimthanda and Ingoma Yenkedama, made him a household name, not only in South Africa but abroad.
His second album, “Cwaka'’’, was nothing short of brilliant, making the Gqeberha-born star absolutely peerless.
Dyantyis has performed on several stages across the world, but his shows at home are always the cherry on top, to be celebrated by your own people. He is also one of the young artists to make jazz even more appealing and loved by younger audiences.
“I love performing in Joburg. I always look forward to my shows here, and I hope I get to see everyone at the Theatre of Marcellus. We are bringing an exceptional show, new music, and ones that will move your spirit and bring you joy.
“The music has been directed by Professor Mike Campbell. The arrangements have been exquisitely orchestrated to gracefully elevate the music to a whole new level” the muso said.
Dyantyis said The Mandisi Dyantyis Jazz Orchestra is a continuation of his work for a couple of years now.
“It’s an idea that we thought about at first. I’ve played with big bands before, so I know the work that goes into it and what makes a good big band show.
“People want to hear the music in the way that they know how to, but because there will be 18 to 24 people on stage, and the audience will be hit with different sections they are not familiar with. So you need to be careful with how you arrange the music,” Dyantyis said.
He further said that over the past two years, they have been trying out certain things musically, and showcasing at Artscape showed us that we were on the right track.
“We knew we were on the right track when we showcased at the Artscape. Our audience is an integral part of the show.
“If you then have someone who’s coming into this relationship between me and the audience, they need to have seen this relationship, and they need to know that at some point, the audience will take over. You have to be strong and be flexible,” he said.