South African
songbird charms UTech audience
Tanya Batson
staff reporter
he sounds of South Africa wafted through the night air on Thursday night. It was once again time for the annual 'Jazz and World Music Concert' which is an annual event put on by the Centre for the Arts at the University of Technology, Hope Road, St. Andrew.
The night was quite cold, by Jamaican standards at least, the island's temperature having cooled in light of the recent rains and the cooler months of the year's quick approach. The dark silhouette of the St. Andrew hills was a comforting backdrop to the sculpture park.
Quite a few persons had turned out for the event, and no one was to be disappointed.
The evening's headliner, Lorraine Klaasen, is one of South Africa's most celebrated musicians. The audience would soon see why. She came with her hallmark energy, vivacity and intriguing, and sometimes naughty choreography. Throughout her stint on the stage, she alternated between flirting with the audience and flirting with her fellow musicians.
Talented musicians
Klaasen was accompanied by very talented musicians who more than held her own, as they at times stole the show. Philadelphian Byard Lancaster, demonstrated his mastery over the saxophone and other reed instruments, while Seretse Small on guitar, Azoune on keyboards, and Desi Jones on drums all dazzled. Dale Haslam continued to show that he is more than an average bass player and Nicholas LaRoque showed his stuff on saxophone.
By the end of the night, although many shivered from the cool night air, no one seemed ready to leave. When Klaasen asked what time it was, they yelled that the time was irrelevant, she should just continue to sing. This was despite the fact that most of Klaasen's songs were not in English. However, from her first piece it was clear that language was not going to provide a barrier to the night's entertainment.
Decked out in colourful beads which formed a very prominent part of her outfit, Klaasen came to the stage with a burst of energy and hardly ever slowed. Her beads would soon entrance as they highlighted every gyration and sway of the hips as she launched into her very energetic performance.
Soon she had the audience clapping along, as she wooed them one and all with her combination of artistry, poise and a captivating personality which simply oozed through every aspect of her performance. In fact, she soon showed the audience just how much fun she was there to have, as she paused momentarily to strike a saucy pose. As the audience laughed and lapped up her antics she stated, "You might as well do it right."
In-between chats
Her performance would be peppered by conversations with the audience. One of the first things she did was demand a hearty 'good evening', which she quickly got. In one of her in-between chats she remarked to the audience that when she was growing up in the South African township with holes in her shoes, she had never dreamed of being able to do this performance. Now, however, real cultural exchange is possible.
Part of what makes Klaasen such a treat to watch is that even when one does not understand what she is singing about, the visual and aural impact of her music is so powerful, one cannot help but be drawn into it. However, she was cognisant of the effect of the language difference and often sought to engage the audience in other ways.
On one occasion, she decided to ad-lib a part of the song, and sang about the fact that the audience did not understand a word she was saying. This was done without her missing a beat, and the audience loved it. She explained that sometimes singing in English robbed the song of some of its meaning. At other times, she would translate what the song was saying and then encourage the audience to sing along in its original language. They boldly ventured into that unknown territory.
Exploitation
Klaasen also took a moment to talk about the exploitation of musicians, especially those from Africa and the Caribbean. The topic came up when she asked a camerawoman why she was being filmed. She later explained that she has learnt to ask, as during her travels around the world, she has stumbled across footage of herself that is completely unauthorised. In one instance in Germany, she had to pay $35 to get a copy of a Lorraine Klaasen Live tape, which she had had no knowledge of.
Inspite of that, the night remained particularly light and festive. In fact, the audience was also keen on helping to entertain themselves and so willingly participated when she called on them. As a result, she had two persons come to the stage and dance with her. This was another moment which sent the crowd wild.
Her entire performance was a combination of professionalism, talent and an a vivacious personality. Klaasen also included in her repertoire some of Jamaica's favourites from the continent. She performed Patta Patta, Maliaka and The Click Song. She also performed two classic Jazz tunes, Misty and All of Me. Her performance of All of Me came through special request, as one man from the back yelled "I want all of you!" She laughingly asked if it was her he wanted, or the song. No reply was forthcoming.
For her finale, she went back to Swahili and sent her energy level skyward. Taking off her head wrap she became a mass of shaking beads and hair. At the end of her performance she received a well- deserved standing ovation.
File
Celebrated South African musician, Lorraine Klaasen, performing at the Ocho Rios Jazz festival held earlier this year.
