Drummer Kesivan Naidoo, born in East London and now based in Basel, Switzerland, has had some incredible jazz career highlights – selection to the National Schools Band as a teenager in 1995 at this festival followed by the National Youth Band when he moved to university to study Jazz; a SAMRO international scholarship to study in India; the Standard Bank Young Artist Award in 2009; a standing ovation for his band in New York’s most famous music venue, Carnegie Hall in 2014. And now he returns to ‘the festival that started it all for me’ with a powerhouse big band of SA and Swiss musicians playing his original compositions, arranged by the extraordinary Adrian Mears.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Kesivan Naidoo (drums), conductor/arranger: Adrian Mears (AU/CH); saxophones: Justin Bellairs, Tara Sarter (D), Sisonke Xonti, Marc Stucki (CH), Danni McKinnon; Trumpet: Darren English, Lee Thomson, Sakhile Simani, Thabo Sikhakhane; Trombone: Julia Rueffert (CH), Siya Makuzeni, Andreas Tschopp (CH), Maxine Troglauer (D); Kyle Shepherd (piano), Reza Khota (guitar), Benjamin Jephta (bass)
