Dianne Reeves is in town, and music lovers have a week to prepare for the madness that is Oppikoppi.
■ Grammy Award-winning singer Dianne Reeves will be backed in South Africa by acclaimed jazz pianist Peter Martin. The musical director performed on and arranged Reeves’s 2003 release, titled A Little Moonlight, and he co-produced her 2004 Blue Note album, Christmas Time is Here. Martin appeared as the pianist in George Clooney’s 2005 film Good Night and Good Luck alongside Reeves. His works have been performed by orchestras worldwide, including a commission from the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
The Teatro at Montecasino, on August 4 and 5, at 8pm. Tickets range from R200 to R650. Book at Computicket. For hospitality packages telephone 011 510 7905 or email: [email protected].
■ This Sunday the third Invisible Cities gig takes place in downtown Johannesburg. Invisible
Cities is a year-long music and arts festival in the form of 12 once-off monthly events set in the empty buildings soon to be part of Johannesburg’s Maboneng arts precinct, home to Arts on Main, Goethe on Main and Main Street Life. The events will make use of transitional spaces — empty buildings that are no longer what they once were and not yet what they will soon become. Rooftops, hallways, stairwells and façades will be transformed into snapshots of a possible Johannesburg.
Marin’s Print building, corner of Fox and Kruger streets, Maboneng Precinct, on July 31 at 2pm. Tickets are available at the Bioscope.
■ Now in its 17th year, Oppikoppi has rolled around once again. Having sold 12 000 tickets already and with only 4 000 left, it looks like South Africa’s largest festival is heading for a bumper crowd from August 5 to 7. Confirmed for this year’s line-up are David Kramer, Van Coke Cartel, Tidal Waves, Tumi and the Volume, Sipho ‘Hotstix” Mabuse, Riku Latti, Not My Dog, Lark, Gary Herselman, Die Antwoord and Matthew Van der Want & Chris Letcher. This year the festival also features a cinema component dubbed MK Bushveld Cinema. Doccies, will look at local lumina
ries and events such as Johannes Kerkorrel, the Voëlvry generation, James Phillips, Roger Ballen and Punk in Africa.
To book visit the festival website: www.facebook.com/oppikoppifestival.
■ Renowned German violinist Annette-Barbara Vogel will give a recital at Wits on Saturday, accompanied by one of the country’s most outstanding recitalists, pianist Pieter Grobler. Vogel has won acclaim as a soloist and recitalist around the world and has worked with artists such as Pierre Amoyal, Arthur Grumiaux, Yehudi Menuhin and Dmitry Sitkovetsky. She is currently professor of violin at the University of Iowa. The programme will include works by Mozart, Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski and Gabriel Fauré.
Wits Great Hall, Wits East Campus, Braamfontein on July 29 at 7.30pm. Book at www.ticket.co.za. Tickets range from R80 to R55 (students, pensioners and Wits staff). Tel: 011 717 1376