Passing through Brazil, the 33-year-old artist creates a contemporary and particular jazz by mixing it with classical music and African origins
Attraction of Sec Jazz 2025this Thursday 30th, the South African singer and educator Gabi Motuba wrote the word jazz with a capital letter every time he mentioned the genre in the responses he sent to this interview via email Estadao. At 33 years old, born in Mamelodi, Pretoria, with two albums under his belt, Motuba creates a contemporary and particular jazz by mixing it with classical music and music of African ancestry.
The pride that drives her to write ‘Jazz’ comes from the fact that she believes that, more than music, it can indicate paths to the world. At the presentation, which is already sold out, Motuba will showcase the album Saturdayreleased in 2024. The singer dedicated the work to her father, who died. He wanted, he says, that through songs about affection and healing, other people could find solutions and meaning about life in the songs he wrote.
“Jazz is an invention of the people,” she says, when asked about a certain elitism that the genre has taken on in Brazil, the country where she performed for the first time – in addition to Sao Paulo, she sang in Porto Alegre. This includes, according to Motuba, also the stripping of jazz from capitalism and its use for the development of man.
The songs are about healing and affection. Why did you decide to share your pain with listeners?
As I said in the previous answer, I believe this is the work of a composer. Like Nina Simone’s famous words: “The task of an artist is to reflect society.” It is my sonic creative duty to find the sounds of the experiences that affect us most and identify them clearly and try to express and articulate them so that people find resolution, meaning, or healing in them. As South African musicians, we are also mourning the loss of our former Minister of Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa. This is a difficult time for us and we would like to recognize this loss and dedicate this moment in Brazil to honor his memory.
Your voice has something spiritual. Where does it leave from?
I’m not sure, but I believe it’s a sound given to me by God and my ancestors. It’s a sound I feel most in tune with and I’m always excited to share it.
How important is it for young people like you to be interested and work in jazz?
It’s really important. Jazz is the most “free” genre of all and can really help young people establish new paths, new cultures, new sounds, new genres, etc.
You’ve said that you create art to change the future. Do you believe that music also has a social function?
YES. Music is part of our daily lives and influences us as much as everything else. I don’t believe that only through music can the world change, but I believe that music is part of the tools we can use to mirror the world and learn from its fundamental and profound principles, and by doing so, when the time comes for us to create something new, we would be clear about what “something old” is.
Gabi Motuba at Sesc Jazz
- 30/20, 8pm
- Sec Pompeia. R. Clélia, 93, Pompeii
Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
