The Kesivan Naidoo Big Band LIVESTREAM

ABOUT

"Kesivan Naidoo is unarguably the most eminent South African drummer of his generation. Say, what? Well, this is a cat who honed his sure-fire feel for sonic spectacle with a roll call of SA jazz masters from the iconic Miriam Makeba, pianists, Hotep Galeta and Bheki Mseleku to saxophonist Winston Mankunku to drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo and beyond. It is his reverential feel for history, space and place that Naidoo channelled in his seminal 2014 album, Brotherhood. At a sold-out Carnegie Hall premiere, no less. Dig it? Fast forward to 2023 and the Basel-based Naidoo is reimagining Brotherhood as a Big Band experience. Celebrated trombonist Adrian Mears breathes beatific big band arrangements into modal Afro-Indo modulations, shadowy cinematic improvisations and more."

(Miles Keylock, former editor of Rolling Stone Magazine)

The "Kesivan Naidoo Big Band Experience" adapts original compositions (from the past 20 years) by Kesivan Naidoo for Big Band. The adaptations are performed by various Big Bands in Switzerland, South Africa, the EU, and the USA. The recordings of the live performances will culminate in an album. The entire work in progress, including the concerts at the Jazzhaus Freiburg, the Bierhübeli in Bern, and the Jazzwerkstatt Bern as well as the entire South African tour will be part of a documentary of Naidoo's musical journey dating back to his SAMRO overseas scholarship in 2000 and his first Pro Helvetia sponsored project in 2004 with Beat Bag Bohemia. The dynamic journey of this music will be told through footage from various different festivals, concerts and recordings starting as early as 2004 – giving depth to the narrative of the documentary capturing the development of this unique Big Band sound.