The Mill to showcase new and original material with new album launch tour

The Mill, a nine-piece South African and Swiss collaboration, is the product of a vibrant exchange of musical ideas between musicians from both countries and sees this seemingly audacious pairing as a progressive charting of new musical conversations.

The multifaceted collaboration between the Swiss and South African musicians is set to break new grounds in the pairing of two distinct and yet seemingly dissimilar worlds.

Mandla Mlangeni, the 2019 Standard Bank Young Artist For Jazz curates the band’s first African-inspired album, When The Wind Blows, an offering that is the result of a three-date engagement in one of Joburg’s most happening live music venues. The outcome is the sonic manifestation of an artistic vision that aims to facilitate new creative expression and cultural participation through music.

The album is set to premiere at the 20th Cape Town International Jazz Festival and several other venues in and around Southern Africa; making this a great platform to showcase new and original material by established practitioners of the jazz idiom. All performances have been specially curated towards raising the profile of this unique collaboration and also create a direct link towards the creation and performance of new and exciting work.

Through a series of concerts, from 29 March–6 April, The Mill will begin their tour at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, The Chairman in Durban, The Culinary Club, Just Badela, Centre Culturo Franco Mozambique, Maputo and The Mbabane Theatre Club, eSwatini. Each performance will cater to the communities and audiences within their scope.  Each artist in the programme will have an opportunity to present works in various forms. There will be of course variations in presenting the programme, as there will be a mixture of solo, full ensemble and experimental works.

“This can be an amazing opportunity for us: to perform for our peers, see what other artists are doing, and be part of an event that takes us beyond our comfort zones as performing musicians and composers. By bringing the best of what the unique collaboration has to offer, this project will both help strengthen our reputation and provide us with an unparalleled experience,” said Mandla Mlangeni, co-founder of the ensemble.

The album launch tour is generously supported by Pro Helvetia Johannesburg, which has for some time been investing in transnational collaborations, exchanges and joint projects among organisations and creative practitioners with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

Ticket prices for each show vary and bookings can be made by contacting the venues.