South Africa's got that swing...

Seriously. I have heard jazz from all over the world: Sweeden, Hong Kong, Barbados, France but I am telling you that South Africa has got that swing! Brazilian samba and more recently bassa nova has a swing but it's a Brasilian swing, kinda like you have to educate yourself in their swing to fully understand it. It's beautiful when you hear it (João Donato & Deodato, etc...), it prompts you to do some research in order to fully understand, which is a good thing. What Fela was doing def has a swing, but, again it's an amalgamation of all these other things and if you want to understand it in deeper way, you need to educate yourself. But South Africa's swing, it's the most Black american swing I've heard outside of America. I was listening to my Sheer Sounds compilation CD and every song kicks ass! It just brought me back to Cape Town during the jazz festival when it seemed like all the buildings were swaying from side to side (like the Floetry music video) jazz does something to a city! But, still the South African's got that swing down pat, its like something in the water over there. Like the spirit of New Orleans has somehow rooted itself in the land. I don't know a South African jazz musician that I dont LOVE (RIP Moses Khumalo (suicide @ 26, whoa), I love u to death - bumping your music on the nano, you really represented for us 20 somethings carrying the torch of jazz) Even Marcus Wyatt is the man, him and his white chocolate trumpet playin self. I am dying to go back to Cape Town and Durban to check out some live shows, that was just amazing. Anyway, I'm just really appreciating South African jazz at the moment...