MUSIC EXCHANGE (#MEX20), South Africa’s preeminent entertainment-economy-invested conference returned this September for the 10th consecutive year, and with it a truly impressive raft of seminal speakers.
Opening with Charles Goldstuck and Arthur Goldstuck followed swiftly by Siphokazi Jonas, Christian Wright, Lance Stehr, Wiseman Ngubo, Neil Johnson, Callum Stevenson , Karabo Senna , Manqoba Kubheka, and Moreira Chonguica
#MEX20 closes on yet another new high with non-other than multi-Grammy award-winning composer, Professor of Music and wife to none-other than Omar Hakim, Rachel Z!
Two-Time Grammy Winner
The amazing Rachel Z is a two-time Grammy winner and will close Music Exchange 2020’s annual conference on Sunday 20 September at noon on the Ticketpro platform.
She discusses the global entertainment landscape and takes audiences on an in-depth look of their personal studio space and goes through all the gear she and Omar create on.
Rachel Z Hakim is a jazz and rock pianist and keyboardist and is considered one of the most influential and versatile musical forces of her generation.
She has already recorded 10 solo albums as a jazz musician. “Rachel Z is an improviser whose spontaneous playing is by no means eclipsed by the work of presiding geniuses such as Herbie Hancock and McCoy Tyner”, opined John Fordham in The Guardian (4 August 2005.)
In 1988, she co-wrote the Grammy Award-winning and certified Gold Record Tokyo Blue with saxophonist Najee.
From 1988–96 she played keyboards and piano with fusion band Steps Ahead with vibes player Mike Mainieri.
In 1995 she worked with Wayne Shorter, on his album High Life, which won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. She was also responsible for the album’s 40 tracks of synthesized orchestral sounds, acoustic piano solos and several concurrent world tours.
Rachel worked closely on preproduction with Marcus Miller in the studio to mesh the synth orchestra with the live ensemble to create the unique and innovative soundscape.
Besides her decades of work, Ozmosys (Omar and Rachel Z) is where we find her today and she and her husband are currently working on their second release in their studio and plan to release the project in 2021. The band performs Improvised EDM electronica jazz funk-rock.
The group recently recorded an EP at #PowerStation #BerkleeNYC, which came out in 2019 with #KurtRosenwinkel on guitar and #LinleyMarithe on bass and also toured with #JCMaillard on guitar.
With a CV longer and more impressive than most, her hour-long welcome right into the heart of where the magic happens is a rare, beautiful, respectful and rewarding session and a fitting close to Music Exchange 2020 (#MEX20).
In partnership with Ticketpro, V&A, Acom Branding Paul Bothner Music, Western Cape Government and Digicape. #MEX20 not only delivered on its promise to empower, but it has also brought the world a little closer together and with it a further opportunity to keep its intent alive with future sessions already underway.
Secure your ticket and watch live or post, until 30 September 2020.
For booking details, and more information, go to musicexchange.org.za
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