How do you make it ... Tutu Puoane
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Tutu Puoane, born in 1979, grew up in a township in South Africa. She studied at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town. In her early 20s, she ventured out into the wider world and continued her studies in The Hague. In 2004, she moved to Antwerp.
How do you make it?
"It's going well. 2024 and 2025 were busy years with the ‘Wrapped In Rhythm’ project. The music was already written in 2019, before the corona period. But like many productions in the cultural world, the execution faced serious delays due to the lockdowns during the pandemic. In the summer of 2023, we finally got into the studio to record ‘Volume 1’. In the meantime, we have been touring for quite some time, both here in Flanders and in Europe and South Africa."
“Tutu Puoane’s UK debut as leader at Ronnie Scott’s was a masterclass in improvisation, and also in how to relate to an audience. It was a rainy Thursday afternoon outside, but the South African singer shone like a `bright sun.” (UK Jazz News)
Why are you making it?
"The poetry of my compatriot Lebo Mashile truly touches me to the depths of my soul. When I read her poems for the first time, I immediately knew I wanted to do something musical with them. There is so much rhythm and music in her texts. I immediately heard melodies in my head while reading. Additionally, I recognized myself. She writes about the life of a black South African woman from the first post-apartheid generation."
With whom are you making it?
"My live band consists of a group of musicians/friends, with whom I have been working for years and with whom I have an almost telepathic relationship: pianist Ewout Pierreux, bassist Clemens van der Feen, guitarist Tim Finoulst, and drummer Dré Pallemaerts. As for both albums: ‘Volume 1’ of the project was produced by the American producer Larry Klein. ‘Volume 2’ is an orchestral collaboration with the Dutch Metropole Orchestra, with arrangements by Bert Joris."
