On April 23rd – William Shakespeare’s date of birth and death- school kids and the bookworm adults among us celebrated World Book Day. But why am I talking about this in a Swing blog? Well, a few days later, I discovered that in 1939, Shakespeare met Swing in an epic Broadway show called Swingin’ the Dream. It was an innovative …
What makes a swing dance floor truly come alive? The answer lies in the music! Of course, we all have different ideas of what makes a great song to dance to, but there are those special nights when everyone seems to be united in a rhythmic trance that can only be cast by a DJ who knows their music. We’ve …
On Saturday, 9th October, Cape Town Swing and La Diosa join forces to bring you an incredible night of swing and salsa. A strange combination, you might think: two different dances with entirely different music from different parts of the world. Nowadays, the swing and salsa scenes appear to attract incompatible crowds, with swing stereotypically thought of as “niche”, “alternative”, …
Before Count Basie and Duke Wellington whipped up dancefloors in Harlem and Lindy Hop swept through America, Sophiatown was already swinging to its own sound. Despite the poverty and resultant violence, Sophiatown became a hub of culture, music, dance and politics, and marabi music emerged in the 1920s as a response to the urbanisation and social changes affecting black South …
The transition from one year to the next is usually a time for reflection and resolutions. This invariably entails some disappointment for not fulfilling the previous year’s resolutions, but let’s not get hung up on that! There’s always time. However, sometimes we get to bask in the glow of a year well spent. Perhaps I’m looking at 2023 like an …
October is Mental Health Awareness Month in South Africa, and World Mental Health Day was celebrated on the 10th of October. In 2004, the World Health Organization redefined mental health as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is …
There are many things I love about South Africa: the dramatic landscapes, the wild oceans and springtime flowers for a start. Then there’s the fact that traffic lights are called “robots” (and that you can do some shopping while you wait for them to turn green), there’s wine at children’s parties, you’re expected to be thirty minutes late to everything …
In the third instalment of CTS’s Women in Jazz blog series, we turn the spotlight on the pioneers of jazz and swing in the USA. Two of our members, Alisa and The Funky Dak, showcase some remarkable women who made a huge impact. Not only did they help create the Swing scene that we know and love today, but these …
You’re taking a sip of your drink, in need of a break after some particularly swinging swingouts, when a familiar stomping intro kicks in. There’s something so alluring about that bold and rhythmic statement from the brass section, with its syncopated motif, and you find yourself abandoning your drink to run back to the dance floor and join in the …