MOREIRA CHONGUICA is a renowned Mozambican jazz saxophonist, award-winning songwriter, producer and ethnomusicologist now based in Cape Town, and due to perform in Harare at HIFA 2010, with a special, more intimate performance at The Mannenberg in Fife Avenue on Saturday 01 May from 9pm, back-to-back with Zimbabwe’s own gifted jazzists, JAZZ INVITATION.

 

THE MOREIRA PROJECT is led by the 32-year old Moreira (alto, tenor and soprano saxophones) backed by some of Cape Town's finest young jazz musicians, described as ‘funky, hip and happening musicians…full of energy and passion!’

 

As he puts it, Moreira was ‘born and bred in Mozambique, buttered in Cape Town’ after relocating to South Africa to further his music studies.  He graduated from the University of Cape Town's South African College of Music with a degree in Jazz Performance and an honours degree in Ethnomusicology (cum laude) in 2000. 

As saxophonist for Jimmy Dludlu from 1999 to 2004, and with The Moreira Project since 2005, he has participated in many of southern Africa’s major and most prestigious music festivals, and in many other countries of the world, and recorded on numerous CD's with top SA musicians.

 

Moreira's debut album, ‘The Journey’ was released in December 2005 with the support and talent of international jazz legend NAJEE on several tracks.  The album was nominated for three SAMA awards, Best Instrumental, Best Contemporary Jazz and won the Best Producer award together with Mark Fransman.  The second album, ‘Citizen of the World’ was released in October 2008 and nominated for three SAMA awards, winning the award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album and Best Album Packaging.

 

On their Saturday 01 May performance, the visiting artists will be welcomed by and double-billed with Zimbabwe’s own JAZZ INVITATION, featuring some of the country’s most gifted jazz artists including Kelly Rusike (bass) and Bernie Bismark (keyboards), who have been delighting music-lovers in the Zimbabwean capital for years, and helping to keep jazz alive in an economic environment which has had a strong negative impact on the business side of the genre.

 

The Mannenberg show was brought together by Zimbabwean arts organisation Pamberi Trust, and sister-organisation African Synergy based in Johannesburg, in association with HIFA.  Pamberi Trust actively promotes the arts and runs the most diverse arts development programme in Zimbabwe, with comprehensive programmes in youth, gender, freedom of expression, music and poetry, with strong regional links through African Synergy.

 

 

 

Music is a universal language and has many lessons to teach.  Not only is Moreira a consummate performer, but he is also strongly involved in the promotion of education.  The Moreira Project will conduct a music workshop for artists on Saturday 1 May at The Mannenberg in Harare.  This is part of Moreira’s ethos of passing on knowledge to the next generation and sharing with them an art form and instrument that they may not have been privileged to have experienced before.

 

Moreira is involved in various initiatives in and around Cape Town, currently with the community school Xulon Musictech where he teaches saxophone and life skills to young aspiring musicians on a regular basis.  He also tutors young aspiring saxophonists free of charge, and is a patron of Escola Nacionale de Musica, the music school in Maputo that he attended as a youngster.

 

He is thrilled to extend his sharing of knowledge into another African city.  States Moreira: “It’s an absolute privilege for me to pass on what I’ve been fortunate enough to learn during my training at the University of Cape Town to passionate youngsters on the various aspects of music and how to apply the principles thereof.  Teaching and sharing music is a great passion of mine and seeing aspiring musicians become successful artists in this very challenging music industry, is extremely heart warming for me. I always come away from sessions like these having learnt something as well.”

 

Harare’s Jazz Invitation is also closely involved in identifying and developing young artists, and works with Pamberi Trust to nurture and promote young jazz artists at The Mannenberg, which was opened in Harare by South African jazz artist Abdullah Ebrahim in 2000 and has been hosting an exciting line-up of jazz and other world artists ever since.