Newport Live Presents McCoy Mrubata and Siya Charles: South African jazz

Legendary South African saxophone master McCoy Mrubata makes his US return. And he's joined by Kenyan pianist Aaron Rimbui. One weekend only About the Performance Newport Live presents world-renowned South African jazz saxophonist at a beautiful new venue - November at Newport Classical Recital Hall at Emmanuel Church in Newport, Rhode Island. Legendary South African saxophone master McCoy Mrubata makes his long-anticipated return to the United States, having just played Joy of Jazz Festival in Johannesburg and Dizzy's at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Aaron Rimbui is just coming off a tour backing fellow Kenyan legend Angelique Kidjo Performance Lineup*: • McCoy Mrubata, tenor saxophone • Aaron Rimbui, piano • Tim Norton, bass • George Gray, drums Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Please note that outside drink is NOT permitted. Beer and wine will be availabe for sale from our sponsors for this show at Greenvale Vineyards and Narragansett Beer. There are many nice restaurants in Newport for an early or late dinner if you book ahead. Parking is available nearby. About McCoy Mrubata McCoy Mrubata was born in 1959 in the township of Langa, Cape Town, South Africa. He was surrounded in childhood by many African hymns, from the sounds of Zion churches to the brassy music of the Merry Macs band who rehearsed opposite his home. With the difficulty of living under the apartheid government and the 1976’s uprising, McCoy left school and followed his music passion. His instrument then was flute, which He studied informally under the likes of Madoda Gxabeka, the Ngcukanas, Winston Ngozi, Ezra and many Langa greats. In the early 1980s, Mrubata played with many cover bands such as Fever, Touch and Airborne, from where he moved to crossover outfit Louis and the Jive. While touring in the 1980s, he was spotted by bandleader Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse, who helped him make Johannesburg his home. As Mrubata grew into playing a wider range of reeds and composing more, he engaged with many other bands and that led to the opportunity of a recording deal by producer Koloi Lebona with a British-based record company named Zomba Records in 1988. The same company had produced, among others, Jonathan Butler and Billy Ocean. The following year Mrubata released his debut album Firebird and went on to form Brotherhood, a band with names such as guitarist Jimmy Dludlu, pianist Nhlanhla Magagula and Lucas Khumalo winning the Gilbey's Music for Africa prize in 1990. In 1992 Mrubata joined Hugh Masekela’s Lerapo and toured the world, playing alongside guitarist Lawrence Matshiza and pianist Moses Molelekwa. Mrubata continued creating his own bands, Cape to Cairo and McCoy and Friends. In the mid-1990s, he made the first of a series of albums as a leader, with Face the Music winning the 2003 South African Music Award (SAMA) in the Traditional Jazz category and Icamagu Livumile winning the same award in 2005. Besides his international musical journey, Mrubata also did some scoring work for South African productions about journalist Bloke Modisane and in 2001 starring in a Norwegian production based on the life of John Coltrane. In June 2007 Mrubata travelled with Paul Hanmer to Congo DR and Kinshasa to participate in conducting music workshops with Belgian and Congolese musicians for a local jazz festival. In 2008, he won his third SAMA in the category Best Traditional Jazz Album for his album The Brasskap Sessions Volume 1. Mrubata's current music involvement includes producing and teaching, alongside being a family man. His ambition is to keep our kind of music alive here at home and sharing his South African experiences through music with the rest of the continent and the world at large. He is married with four kids and currently lives in Johannesburg. About Aaron Rimbui “Harun "Aaron" Kimathi Rimbui is a Kenyan pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, producer, festival curator and radio host. He is regarded as one of East Africa's finest pianists. Aaron was born in Nairobi, Kenya. Rimbui's ear for music was displayed while still a toddler. His father would play everything from Stevie Wonder records to Henry Mancini and take him to local restaurants where he heard the music of groups like Les Wanyika, Maroon Commandos and Samba Mapangala. This had a significant influence on how he developed his sound in later years. Rimbui's individual expression in music continued to form in his high school years. It is at this time that he picked up the piano. Rimbui began to gravitate toward jazz as he listened to the music of David Sanborn, Joe Sample, Yellowjackets and Fourplay and later, Herbie Hancock and George Duke. Rimbui served as head the Tusker Project Fame band. Born in a family of five, with two siblings a brother and sister, Aaron's ear for music was spotted while still a toddler. At three years of age he was already rhythmically drumming using everything in sight - small wonder the first instrument he picked up was the drum set. He attended the Lavington Primary School then the prestigious Nairobi School for his secondary education. Though he claims little if any musical pedigree in his family, his younger brother, Tim 'Ennovator' Rimbui happens to be one of the country's premier producers. Exuberant after just completing his primary education and on only his second week of post-primary vacation, Aaron survived a horrific domestic accident. One of his neighbours had accidentally left a gas cooker on, and while trying to switch it off, a serious gas explosion occurred. Aaron, in a moment of retrospection, recalls being awake through the whole experience and was diagnosed with second degree burns. He spent the next month bedridden at the Nairobi Hospital, kicking off an extremely difficult, yet immensely profound and life-changing period of his life. For the next 18 months he was in and out of hospitals, seeing different specialists due to the complications that arose after the accident. He developed chiloids and had to undergo reconstructive surgery. After numerous visits to theatres for surgery, he found himself earnestly seeking for God's presence to abide with him during this telling period. As his search continued, and his heart reached out for the Lord, he suddenly got baptised in the Holy Spirit while praying. Aaron 'Krucial Keys' Rimbui started playing the drums in 1990 when his father bought him a 4 piece drum-set. After assembling it, he proceeded to carry it to church, and it was not long before he was declared the official church drummer. Prior to his accident he had attended two months worth of piano lessons, but painfully, his fingers were unable to play the keys. While still at Nairobi School he met up with Daniel Mwiti, now of Milele, who mentored him musically and over time he began to blossom as a pianist. At the same time he rubbed shoulders with the school's other talented pianists Chris Adwar and Jacob Asiyo, now of the Hotel Intercontinental. Little did he know that his career in music would be greatly influenced by his attendance of an overnight prayer meeting at the Nairobi Baptist Church . There, he came across two exceptionally gifted guitar players, J.J Ojiambo and Kung'u Mbathi (of Four Winds). Aaron later joined the I.B program at St. Mary's, and on his very first day there, while attending auditions for the annual school musical, he comes across the very same guitarists playing in the band. This began a budding music relationship and after a few months of playing together they formed the band Jazz It All; members being Aaron, Kung'u, JJ and now-producer Gideon Kimanzi. In 2000, Aaron secured an internship at Bruce Odhiambo's Johari Clef Studio and embarked on a journey as a producer.