Mama Africa - Our Kind of Jazz

Celebrating Miriam Makeba's legacy with Naarm/Melbourne's finest artists.

Experience an electrifying celebration of South Africa's township sounds and the enduring legacy of revered singer and civil rights activist Miriam Makeba. Presented by Stani Goma (PBS's Flight 1067 To Africa) and performed by a collective of acclaimed Melbourne-based African musicians, this concert weaves the joyful rhythms of marabi, kwela, and mbaqanga with fresh interpretations of Makeba's most iconic songs.

Witness the irresistible groove of Pata Pata, the soaring emotion of Malaika, and the playful vocal brilliance of The Click Song, all reimagined with contemporary flair. An immersive musical journey that honours tradition while pushing it boldly forward, this performance not only pays tribute to Makeba's artistry but also highlights the creativity and innovation of Melbourne's African music community.

Uplifting, soulful, and deeply connected to its roots, Mama Africa - Our Kind of Jazz invites audiences to experience African jazz as both cultural heritage and a vibrant living art form.

Tickets

Standard $45 ($40 Concession)

Please note, seating in the Primrose Potter Salon is General Admission.

A Transaction Fee between $4 and $8.50 applies to orders made online and by phone. Delivery Fees may also apply. A ticket limit of six is in place online to ensure fair ticket access for all. Want to bring a bigger party? Call our Box Office during business hours on (03) 9699 3333 to book.

About the Artists 

Afrospace Interchange
Zvi Belling bass
Fem Belling vocals, violin
Brian Abrahams drums
Pat Jaffe piano
Leon Stenning guitar
Ron Romero tenor saxophone
Kasinda Faase flute
Nick Ryan Glenie trumpet
Rara Zulu vocals
Stani Goma MC

Afrospace Interchange is a Naarm (Melbourne) based African outpost engaged in the research, development, and manufacture of interstellar jazz. The group coalesce around the extraordinary rhythmic impetus of Brian Abrahams and his legacy as an originator of this unique art form. The band has honed its focus on playing South African standards and developing its own original compositions. Their recent debut album, available via Bandcamp Music, has been released to critical acclaim.

Brian Abrahams is a South African jazz drummer and singer with an extensive international music career. He has performed with Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, Abdullah Ibrahim, Dudu Pukwana, Ronnie Scott, John Taylor, Johnny Dyani, Brotherhood of Breath, Jim Pepper, Dewey Redman, Mal Waldron, Archie Shepp, Courtney Pine and more. During the 1980s, Abrahams founded his own group, District Six, whose recordings, and concerts have made a significant contribution to the legacy of South African Jazz. Abrahams currently lives and works in Melbourne and is a tutor for aspiring jazz students at the Australian Jazz Museum.

Fem Belling is a South African-born vocalist and violinist emerging as one of Australia's formidable and exciting new jazz performers. Her African jazz and theatre roots contribute to a distinct musicality and storytelling ability. Fem hails from a musical family with performance in her blood, she has performed with jazz greats, locally and internationally, on stages as diverse as Ronnie Scotts (UK), Bennett's Lane, WOMADelaide, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Stonnington Jazz Festival, and Joy of Jazz (South Africa). She has performed alongside Gregory Porter, Joe Chindamo, The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra, Reggie Watts, Chucho Valdez, Marcus Wyatt and Barney Rachabane. She has received five Vita awards and a Green Room Award nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical Theatre. She has performed for Her Majesty the Queen at the Royal Variety and has spent many years as a leading lady in London's West End with lead roles including Hairspray, Fame, Footloose, Cats, and The Boy from Oz.

Zvi Belling (aka ZEDSIX) is a Melbourne-based bass player, director, and composer for The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra, ZEDSIX, The Afrobiotics and The Royal Swazi Spa. He also founded the early Australian pioneering hip-hop outfits Disasterware and The Inflatables. ZEDSIX grew up and started in music in Southern Africa. As a bass player, he has performed with Gregory Porter, Hugh Masekela, Femi Kuti, Ebo Taylor, Juluka, Bunna Lawrie, Bart Willoughby, Emma Donovan, Marcus Wyatt, PJ Powers, Barney Rachabane, Chet Faker, Sampa the Great & more.

Pianist/composer Pat Jaffe was the recipient of the 2020 Allan Zavod Performers' Award and has worked as an arranger and collaborator with Nai Palm (Hiatus Kaiyote) and Academy Award-winning singer-songwriter Markéta Irglová. His debut album 'Eldorado' was recorded in Reykjavík with the Icelandic chamber ensemble, the Siggi String Quartet. Pat has since released 'A Sanctuary of Quietude,' for which he and co-composer Callum Mintzis were finalists for Best Jazz/Improvised Performance at the 2022 APRA AMCOS Art Music Awards, and 'SUMMIT, ' a duo recording with violist Aidan Filshie. He has also composed music for Flinders Quartet, Hush Foundation, and the Jazzlab Orchestra.

Guitarist Leon Stenning studied music at the Sydney Conservatorium and Guildhall London, with 20 years of gigs and sessions in the UK, Europe, and Asia to his credit. He has collaborated with artists such as Martha Reeves, Nathan Haines, Joe Bataan, Dill Katz, Reel People, Sola Ackingbola, Giovanni Hidalgo, SOLL, and Corner Pocket. 

Ron Romero is an American expat now living in Australia. Since moving to Melbourne, Ron regularly plays at venues performing jazz, musical theatre and African and Latin music on saxophone, clarinet, and flute. Ron worked for the PCPA Theatre Company in Santa Maria, California and for Princess Cruises, travelling the world playing in the showband, supporting both productions and guest entertainers. 

Kasinda Faase is a passionate flautist, saxophonist and guitarist born in Australia of Dutch and Nigerian heritage. She has recently completed training in classical music at Melbourne's conservatorium. She works across jazz, afrobeat and psychedelic rock with her own band, Heavy Amber, Zelkova and The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra. She has performed with Ghanaian highlife legend Ebo Taylor and with Zamrock's WITCH at Golden Plains festival, as well as Kee'ahn, The Tony Allen Experience, Bananagun, and more. 

Nic Ryan-Glenie plays trumpet, keys, guitar, bass guitar and trombone. He has toured the USA, Europe, South America and Australia with multiple ARIA-winning and MTV-nominated artists Vance Joy and Australian funk-soul 9-piece Saskwatch. He has performed at Glastonbury, Red Rocks, Coachella, Lollapalooza Brazil, and has supported both Earth, Wind and Fire, and Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. Nic performs with Owelu Dreamhouse and various ensembles across Australia.

Rara Zulu is a Durban born, Melbourne based vocalist with a wholesome rawness and a unique tendency to pull you into a state of vulnerability through her music. Her sound is heavily influenced by black music- Soul, R'n'B, House and Hip Hop. All brought to life with her dope beats stashed in her sp404, finding grooves in space and time created by instrumentals that provide the perfect landscape for what she is impelled to say. Mz Zulu has proudly worked alongside incredible Melbourne bands like, 30/70, Messy Mammals, Miss Kaninna, Allysha Joy, Finn Irregular and Rat Child; she brings an electrifying element to the stage at every performance. Rara's currently working on her long awaited solo project. Rara stands out in her own place, in the league of pioneers of a fresh sound.