Mandla Mlangeni and the Little Giants @ Gallery South

ABOUT

Johannesburg trumpeter Mandla Mlangeni performs with the Little Giant

The Little Giants were established in 1999 by local jazz icons, Ezra Ngcukana and George Werner, at the request of organisers of the annual Jazzathon festival. They needed a township youth band to perform S outh African standards at their 2000 event. The performance was received with such great response from their audience that it was decided to continue with the project. This group of 22 young musicians, aged between 13 and 23 years, from the townships of the Cape Flats and beyond, has developed into a tightly knit integrated unit, bonded by their youthful enthusiasm and shared cultural experiences. Their repertoire of African standards, jazz standards, fusion and original material has wowed the crowds wherever they have played. The combination of traditional rhythms and a solid brass section has provided this group with a biggish band sound that is not often found in community projects of this nature. Their first big event, after the 2000 Jazzathon, was as an open act for the “African Piano” event, which featured Bheki Mseleku and Mervyn Africa, at the Baxter Theatre in 2000. From there onwards, demand for the group rose.

The group has performed at most of Cape Town’s major festivals and jazz clubs e.g.

Jazzathon, Waterfront, Cape Town, 2000-2009; 2017

Cape Town International Jazz Festival, 2008

North Sea Jazz Festival, People’s free Concert, Cape Town, 2002-2004

The Cape Town Festival, Company Gardens, Cape Town, 2004

Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival, Grahamstown, 2002-2016

Cape Town Big Band Festival, Baxter Theatre, 2003-2017

Artscape youth festival 2003, 2005, 2010, 2011

Afro Café TV Programme, 2008

Expresso TV Programme, 2011

Other highlights

Education Budget banquet for the Minister of Education, Kader Asmal.

The opening of parliament and President Thabo Mbeki’s state of the nation

address in 2005.

Minister Naledi Pandor and Guests at the Education Budget Vote in 2007.

The Archbishop Ngunbane of Cape Town’s Farewell speech, 2007

Part of the French-SA cultural exchange project, “Bigtime!” 2012-13. Toured

France in

March/April and September 2013.

Three little Giants were invite to participate in a cross cultural project which

culminated, in November, in a performance at the London Jazz Festival, 2015

Africa Day, 2015

Mama Afrika: The Musical. Backing band. Pentech, May, 2016; St Louis and New

York, USA, September, 2016 and Artscape, February, 2017.

Over the years, more than 170 youth have been developed through this project and many

of the Little Giants have been selected to represent the National Youth Jazz Band or

Schools Jazz Band in Grahamstown. Several have gone on to successfully pursue music

careers becoming established musicians and teachers, too, Some have studied and/or are

living abroad, e.g. USA, Norway, Ireland and Australia. The most notable are Shaun

Johannes, bass, lecturer, UCT; Darren English, trumpet, 2016 Grammy Nominee, Lwanda

Gogwana, Sisonke Xonti, Keenan Ahrends – recorded artist- to name a few