Kei McGregor's Band - Bamagwaza Kei McGregor's Band

Trumpeter Kei McGregor is the son of the great South African musician and composer Chris McGregor, the idea with his small band was to revitalise the spirit of mbaqanga, the popular South African music from the '50s that Chris listened to during his youth, and which later infused South African jazz. It was based on simple chord sequences, most often with four chords over four bars, and yet this structure was based on a sturdy rhythmic intensity, leaving ample space for improvisation and harmonic embellishment.

Bamagwaza recaptures that simplicity which gives free rein to the improvisers' imagination, and that rhythmic intensity. The rhythmic drive is constantly kept up by the percussionists, with the combination of the djembe and the drumkit delivering layers of strikingly lively rhythmic patterns, anchored on the bass player's pulse, while the guitar precisely evokes the Zulu maskanda musicians' rhythmic counterpoint and melodic phrasing, with welcome echoes of Malagasy melodies. This backdrop allows the horns to give free rein to their inventiveness.

The Bamagwaza repertoire is mainly based on compositions by Dudu Pukwana and Mongezi Feza, key members of the Blue Notes and the different Brotherhoods of Breath - two of Chris McGregor's iconic groups. Added to these are two compositions by Chris, one by composer and arranger Caiphus Semenya and finally, one by Kei McGregor himself: "Limpopo", named after one of South Africa's major rivers. He displays his musical heritage, mbaqanga and Brotherhoods of Breath, and showcases his own personality with a bright, agile and sinuous trumpet.