Fred Spider – presents Chakalaka Jazz (2xLP)

Eleven enchanting South African tracks, between local music tradition and jazz as a basic idea, compiled by groove conaisseur DJ Fred Spider as a CD in digipack and as a double LP in gatefold cover (180 gram vinyl) on Heavenly Sweetness

Born in Lyon, Fred Spider is a legend and has been active as a DJ since 1984, traveling to over 20 countries since then. After a stopover in Barcelona, he now runs the Voom Voom club in Cape Town. He has shared the DJ booth and stage with greats such as Daft Punk, Gilles Peterson, Massive Attack, Frederic Galliano and Carl Craig. No black music style of the last 100 years has escaped his thirst for discovery, so it's no wonder that Fred also delved deep into dusty record crates in South Africa.

The eleven pieces selected have one thing in common: jazz is not the first association, because here you can hear wonderfully how South African eclecticism and hybridization rework indigenous genres such as marabi, goema and mbaqanga in the sense of the cultural technique "jazz". The songs, with a focus on the late 70s, are based on spiritual jazz, simple, repetitive and reduced rhythms, slow and atmospheric compositions and sophisticated, rich melodic arcs characterize the magical sounds. "Chakalaka" is the popular local tomato, onion and chili sauce that goes with this "jazz". With liner notes on all songs by Calum MacNaughton (author, director and South African cultural expert).