In the past, jazz music has come to symbolise diverse agendas including freedom and democratic values, symbols seen as a threat to order and a civil society with oppressive agendas.

As part of Newtown Junction’s commitment to bring Arts and Culture into the inner city and preserve the heritage of Newtown, it is partnering with Amandla Freedom Ensemble to create what surely will be a public dialogue not to be missed.

Hosted by author and prolific music journalist Gwen Ansell who will be joined by Louis Tebogo Moholo Moholo, Salim Washington and Andile Yenana. The dialogue will take place on Thursday, February 11 at 2.30 pm at Work Shop New Town which is a new innovative retail concept housed in the historic 1911 Potato Sheds at Newtown Junction.

The Amandla Freedom Ensemble, one of South Africa`s new jazz sensations is re-living the history of jazz music through a series of intriguing musical dialogues titled Born to be Black which alongside Work Shop New Town, will also be hosted at The Orbit Jazz and Bistro, 82 de Korte on February 11 12 at 8 pm. Tickets cost R120.

The performance will be expanded with a front line of four horns accompanied by the warm percussive sounds of Louis Moholo Moholo and multiple award-winning pianist, composer and jazz scholar, Andile Yenana. The audience can expect a larger than life line-up that promises to capture everyone`s spirit and communicate jazz in an unusual arrangement.

Born to Be Black is the culmination of an endeavour to bring two evenings of musical brilliance from an intergenerational dialogue between the intense piano improvisations of Andile Yenana and the legendary percussionists Louis Moholo Moholo.

Moholo is no stranger to the art of combining Jazz and politics. He played a pivotal role in the influential community of South African exiles who transformed the evolution of British jazz from the 1970s. He also formed The Blue Notes with Chris McGregor, Johnny Dyani, Nikele Moyake, Mongezi Feza and Dudu Pukwana.