Lukhanyo Mdingi explores the history of Jazz with Souls Interlude

Picture: Supplied

It’s rare to peer behind the creative and musical veil of music that spans over a century; Souls Interlude is a sensory exhibition that is curated by Creative Director & Researcher Lukhanyo Mdingi.

Focusing on the preservation and history of Jazz music in South Africa during the 1960s & 70s, the exhibition pays homage and serves as an experiential time capsule.

With a rich and complex history, the intention is to look into the lineage of this poignant genre of artistry and the Black Consciousness movement that coexisted within the words of melodies and harmonies composed in each symphony.

To begin to weave together the varying threads of this research respite, the premise of this new body of work stems from the archival documentary work of Ian Bruce Huntley photographic journals from the early 60’s, published in Keeping Time, a photographic journal that opens up a revealing window of the complexities of the political climate and the beauty of comradery & community of local Jazz artists during apartheid South Africa.

The exhibition serves as a portal that engages with archival imagery, instrumental percussion, sound and historical relics indicative of this period.

With the continuous spirit of collaboration, Souls Interlude serves as an experiential time capsule of the archival; a considered selection of literature offerings curated by Cape Town’s literary institution, Clarke’s Bookshop, the selected print editions expand upon the history and legacy of Jazz and its wayshowers within South Africa.

Archival Auctioneers, THEFOURTH lend their unique collectable interior pieces that serves as an accompaniment to themed installations – each contributor demonstrates their ingenuity as to how each of these themes can celebrate the transformation of sound, visuals and the soulful spirit of Jazz.