2. THE CONCEPT
My concept has to do with how musicians perform on stage. Once they get on stage, they embody this
persona or character that somehow completes or enhances the performance.
When I photographed most of the musicians who performed during the 2012 Cape Town International
Jazz festival, I noticed that its not all about music. Just like any other art, music is complete when the
audience is present and the audience sometimes if not always, dictates the performance of the
musician.
When I photographed US guitarist Mike Stern at the Fugard Theatre, is demeanor reminded me of
Mike Jagger of the Rolling Stones. He had a powerful stage presence yet it was not intimidating. I was
also struck by the relationship he had with his fellow musicians, Dave Weckl, the drummer and the
guitarist. It was playful yet professional and one could feel the synergy between them and collectively
they produced symphony of music.
I also had the opportunity to photograph Zakes Bantwini who is famous for his ‘Bum Bum’ song. When
I first saw this artist perform on television, I was struck by his stage presence and his character.
One immediately picks that being the ‘performer ‘ is what wows music lovers to his music. Additionally,
his dress sense and dance style enhances the performance. He dons black shades similar to those won
by Ray Charles and R Kelly the later being his inspiration.
