If you consider who is part of South Africa’s Jazz royalty, the name of the late Hugh Masekela will be at the top of your list, as is the list of American jazz vocalist Gregory Porter, who for him, is like a brother. January 23 marks the fifth anniversary of the death of Masekela, who is well-known Market place, Stimela and Thanai hits.
Hugh Masekela, industrial uncle
“Hugh always felt like an uncle. I only had the opportunity to meet him twice before he passed. His voice, his brutality and the way he carried it is a way that can influence many artists today,” said Porter.
“I saw him perform once and at that time, he was very old, and I saw him bent almost all the way to the floor, and he was playing the horn almost on the floor. I was on tour at the time and I was a little tired. I tried to do what he was doing and I can’t do it. He’s so great,” he said.
The two-time Grammy Award winner has created a jazz serenade MzansiHaving performed in half-a-dozen sold-out concerts in the Mother City and Johannesburg, with the last performance at the Teatro in Montecasino this past Friday, as Showtime Management and Liberty made sure there were no empty seats.
Moments on Mzansi soil
This is Porter’s third visit to the country and while he usually performs at more than 200 concerts a year, the Hey Laura hitmaker’s course leans towards the back roads, where he sings for people in pain, which explains why he follows his heart and soul . in 2016 he Take Me to the Alley hit.
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Before the father of two sons with his wife Victoria, became the powerhouse brand that it is today, Porter remembers how fulfilled it was when he performed in the North West over a decade ago.
“People will say I’ve performed at the Royal Albert Hall which is great, yes, of course, but when I came to SA, I went to Mahikeng and I performed in a shop car park in a town. The kids were sitting on the pavement. They about 40 but in my mind I’m sitting in the front row of the arena. I love to bring music to people. When I sing Take Me to the Alleythat’s what I’m talking about,” Porter said.
“I didn’t come here trying to be slick or cooler, but I came here with an honest message. Singing the things my mother taught me. That sold me the first million, by just singing what’s in my heart. You can come by not following what is in the formula but singing what is in your heart.
“When I came here for the first time, I thought I was just an extra entertainment but there were thousands of people singing my songs again. I was a little surprised. I didn’t perform the songs like I did in the studio version. The song at that time Hi Laura, and I deviated from the studio version and the audience sang it back as it was. Now I have to remember how to sing,” he said.
Subwoofers and more
If you grew up in the townships, or still live there, you may have come across a house where the sound system is paraded on the stoep playing at maximum volume. This is exactly the same way Porter grew up, and although the love for music is rooted in his veins, he always wanted to be a football player. His late mother – who died of cancer when he was 21 – gave him the blessing to follow his heart and passion, but always reminded him of his roots.
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“When I was a kid, I didn’t know I was listening to jazz when my mom put on Nat King Cole, I didn’t know what it was but it was good. My mom used to take the sound system and set it up in the street and she would say, ‘son, sing for the people this’.
“These people are alcoholics, prostitutes and people with drug problems. And they tell me that people who need what I want because they are the first people I sing about,” said Porter.
His smooth and silky voice is, of course, a gift from God, but without the influence of idols such as Luther Vandross and James Brown, just to name a few. Amazing hands the singer will never be a force to be reckoned with. That’s why he encouraged future jazz artists to complete the works of those who paved the way for them.
“Every generation has a new influence. I had a different influence with Nat King Cole. Marvin Gaye had a different influence. But luckily I had the influence of Marvin Gaye, Don Hathaway, Bill Withers.
“I think it should be acceptable to bring new influences because you build the legacy of the previous one. We should not be afraid to refine the sound of jazz with good hip hop. All other music is a brother of jazz,” he said.
Message for South Africa
There must have been someone whispering in Porter’s ear about the state of affairs in the country. Eliminate the burden. The political climate and all the fabric that makes up the fabric that is Mzansi today. Just like how Nelson Mandela described sports as a unifier, so is music, Porter suggests.
At Be good The singer remembers the time when he performed in Europe and Kazakhstan, and did not know how popular he was. He stuck to his set catalog for the tour, but the audience’s response surprised Porter. And from there, he never underestimated the passion of the music, the trials and tribulations that the audience faced in front of him.
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“I went to the Netherlands and I didn’t sing that song Musical Genocide, which was the number one song on radio in the region at the time. Everyone thinks I know and I don’t. I’m kind of a DJ when I’m on stage and I control what I feel we should do. I remember going in,” Porter said.
“If I want to say something to the audience in South Africa, first of all it’s about love – No Love Dies Here (this is a song released in 2013 on an album titled Liquid Spirit). Second, Take Me to the Alley. In your greatness, do not forget those who are in darkness, those who need your help. Hungry people, don’t forget about them,” added Porter.