American superstars Earth, Wind & Fire were the clear winners on the penultimate night

On the occasion of their 40th anniversary as performing artists, Earth, Wind & Fire endeared themselves to the fans in a scintillating performance that one can only describe in a word: masterpiece. On a night of stars, they deftly outshone their peers and showed why they have lasted four decades in an otherwise turbulent industry. Simply put, they are adept at showbiz.

This came to light when, coming on stage after a lukewarm performance by local idol Simphiwe Dana, they almost blew off the rooftop to Kippies – the main venue for the two-day Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) – with their dazzling display of musical genius.

The ageless group – compromising Philip Bailey on lead vocals/percussion/Kalimba, Verdine White on bass guitar, Ralph Johnson on vocals/percussion, Myron McKinley on keyboards/music director, Greg Moore and Morris O’Connor (both on guitar), John Paris (drums), Gary Bias (saxophone), Reggie Young (trombone), Robert Burns (trumpet) and Philip D. Bailey Jr on backing vocals – kept the large crowd swaying to the band’s timeless ballads from start to finish.

They could have gone on all night; the enthusiastic fans were having so much fun, they could not have minded. So much so that it was sad to see the band eventually depart the scene.

Much to the amazement of the American superstars, the ecstatic audience danced, clapped and sang along beat after beat, prompting lead vocalist Bailey to remark rather wryly: “When we learnt we were coming to South Africa, I asked myself: But what songs do they like?”

Well, he need not have worried, for he received a resounding response that night. The fans showed they were not musical simpletons to be sung to, but there to sing along and soak in the atmosphere.

It was hard to imagine that these musicians have been at their game for 40 years. Their energy, stagecraft and zeal were indescribable.It rubbed off on the appreciative fans, who surely could not have asked for more.

Then came a moment of brilliance. When lead vocalist Bailey showed his mastery of African instruments, the fans were almost eating out of his palms. The largely cosmopolitan crowd was ecstatic when this veteran took to playing the Kalimba, a traditional African accordion, with such precision and gusto that you could have sworn you were seeing double.

No, it definitely was not Oliver Mtukudzii, the celebrated Zimbabwean folk hero, but a 60-odd-year-old African American, showing his versatility and artistry to a rapturous crowd. This created a frenzied ambience reminiscent of a scene from John Travolta’s Saturday Night Fever, the musical that catapulted the Hollywood actor to stardom.

Earth, Wind and Fire, who dabble in soul, funk, gospel, blues and Jazz, have been together since 1969. On the night, they dished out hit after hit, including “Shining Star”, “Mighty Mighty”, “Let’s Groove” and “Kalimba Story” – all well received by the die-hard jazz lovers assembled.

If one needed reassurance that Earth, Wind and Fire were legendary performers in their own right, this was it! The band has won six Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards to date. They are recipients of a Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in 2002.

Bass guitarist White, resplendent in his colourful costume, could have easily shamed any teenager with his agility on the night. His energetic dance routines, as he strummed his guitar along, received a standing ovation many times over. The ageless performer vigorously strutted up and down, guitar in hand, as he energised the crowd to swing along to the band’s melodies.

He was in dazzling form, and so were his band mates. For stage presence alone, these guys rate A-plus.

“It took us 40 years to get here,” Bailey bellowed into his microphone as he bade the crowd farewell.

Other star attractions

Earlier, the late start to the evening had fans on tenterhooks. Anxious revellers had packed the venue prior to publicised time of 17h00, only to be kept up on their feet for another one and a quarter hours.

Without explanation, fans were left guessing and subjected to watching technicians fine-tune equipment live on stage. This did not appeal to the expectant crowd.

“These guys are rehearsing right in front of us,” remarked an agitated Swiss-based Botswanan national who had flown in just for the occasion. “It’s unacceptable,” he fumed.

Dana, the opening act at Kippies on the Saturday night, only sauntered onto the stage at 18h15.

The tired crowd was by then in no mood for pleasantries and showed their displeasure. Rude hand gestures went up in unison as soon as she appeared, momentarily bringing the show to a chaotic start.

She meekly apologised, saying: “It was beyond my control.” The reaction, however, was spontaneous, as more disapproving hand gestures competed for air space. But the sleek professional that she is, she dutifully got on with the business to get the show under way.

Poor soul, she endured a cold reception – probably necessitated by factors logistically beyond her.

Nonetheless, Dana went through the motions until all was forgiven, when she played some of the latest songs from her new album, Kulture Noir.

By the time she did a rendition of her all-time hit “Ndiredi”, the crowd was on cloud nine.

At this juncture, the revellers had warned up to her elegance; she reciprocated this gesture, overcoming the cold-shouldered welcome earlier and getting the full house behind her.

And halfway through this show, fans were back in the mood to enjoy the best of homegrown musical talent.

“I was put off a bit by the late start, but the good music that followed compensated,” said Noloyiso Mthembu of Stellenbosch University. Besides Dana, this first-time festival patron also enjoyed performances by Senegalese superstar and media entrepreneur Youssou N’Dour as well as Lwanda Gogwana and Liquideep.

Also in the house to add more fervour at the sold-out venue was Chuck Loeb in collaboration with his Spanish spouse, Carmen Cuesta, herself a talented vocalist and songwriter of note.

Because this show was sandwiched between two great performances – that of Earth, Wind & Fire and African maestro Youssour N’Dour – there was a sense that the revellers were simply whiling away their time in anticipation of the latter’s show, which followed right afterward.

Amazingly, the venue was still teeming with ecstatic fans, all receptive to the fiesta dished out by this affable hubby and wife team. The jazz enthusiasts were on best behaviour at this juncture (probably dazed by an overdose of captivating music taken in quick succession), and so it was that song after song, they sang along, showing their appreciation with loud applause at the end of each rendition.

Loeb and Cuesta played some of the catchy tunes on Loeb’s album entitled Listen, as well as his latest offering, Between 2 Worlds. The lovely couple clearly enjoyed the audience as much as the fans adored them.

Performing at Rosies was the artist everyone wanted to see. Esparanza Spalding, fresh from winning a Grammy for Best Newcomer, lived up to her top billing. Her show was a complete sold-out affair, so much that even accredited journalists had to register beforehand, in addition to paying a token fee for access to this venue. That is how big a star attraction she was.

The 26-year-old artist – who has been described by veteran singer Dee Dee Bridgewater as one of the best things to happen to music in general, on account of her ability to cross so many barriers – is equally big on humility.

Asked how she felt about her recent Grammy success, Spalding retorted: “It’s not like wining a beauty pageant or something.” With feet on such firm ground, it is little wonder her star is in ascendancy.

A double bassist and vocalist who hails from Portland, Oregon in the United States, she clearly deserves the accolades raining on her tiny shoulders. She is a master act, whose latest work Chamber Music Society, released in August 2010, won a Grammy nomination. It is a work of genius, weaving together chamber music and jazz improvisation, which has received rave reviews worldwide.

More room in future

The CTIJF, held over two days and featuring more than 40 international and African stars hosted on five stages, is set to benefit from planned expansion of the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). The project, estimated at R4.5 billion, will create more than 8 000 jobs annually by 2018, according to Cape Town Tourism.

CTICC 2 will compromise 20 000 square metres of space, doubling its current size. It is this arena that will host events and, upon completion, will have capacity for two big international conferences held simultaneously. This will be the new home for the CTIJF.

The success of the festival, the fourth biggest in the world, is a catalyst to this expansion. This is probably the paramount impact of the CTIJF on Cape Town.

Festival director Rashid Lombard thanked patrons for supporting the event in such greater numbers. He disclosed that 35 000 fans attended the ever popular festival in 2010, resulting in a contribution of more than R475 million to the Western Cape economy. The South African economy (as a whole) gained to the tune of R685m, with approximately 2 000 jobs created.

“In these times of economic challenges, a healthy creative industry has become a necessity,” Lombard declared.

This sentiment was echoed by Minister of Arts and Culture Paul Mashatile: “We continue to stress that the cultural and creative industries, of which festivals are an important part, are a major driver of economic growth and job creation,” he said in a foreword to the occasion.

In the famous words of English novelist CS Lewis: “A good time was had by all.”

David Mwanambuyu