About this Event
About the Performance
Newport Live presents world-renowned South African jazz saxophonist at a beautiful new venue - November at Newport Classical's the Recital Hall at Emmanuel Newport in Newport, Rhode Island.
Legendary South African saxophone master McCoy Mrubata makes his long-anticipated return to the United States, having just played Joy of Jazz Festival in Johannesburg and Dizzy's at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Aaron Rimbui is just coming off a tour backing fellow Kenyan legend Angelique Kidjo
Performance Lineup (announcing a lineup change. Now with a quintet!):
- McCoy Mrubata, tenor saxophone
- Siya Charles, trombone
- Wilerm Delisfort, piano
- Maria Odreman-Valenciano, bass
- Kabelo Mokhatla, drums
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Please note that outside drink is NOT permitted. Beer and wine will be availabe for sale from our sponsors for this show at Greenvale Vineyards and Narragansett Beer. There are many nice restaurants in Newport for an early or late dinner if you book ahead. Parking is available nearby.
About McCoy Mrubata
McCoy Mrubata was born in 1959 in the township of Langa, Cape Town, South Africa. He was surrounded in childhood by many African hymns, from the sounds of Zion churches to the brassy music of the Merry Macs band who rehearsed opposite his home. With the difficulty of living under the apartheid government and the 1976’s uprising, McCoy left school and followed his music passion. His instrument then was flute, which He studied informally under the likes of Madoda Gxabeka, the Ngcukanas, Winston Ngozi, Ezra and many Langa greats.
In the early 1980s, Mrubata played with many cover bands such as Fever, Touch and Airborne, from where he moved to crossover outfit Louis and the Jive. While touring in the 1980s, he was spotted by bandleader Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse, who helped him make Johannesburg his home. As Mrubata grew into playing a wider range of reeds and composing more, he engaged with many other bands and that led to the opportunity of a recording deal by producer Koloi Lebona with a British-based record company named Zomba Records in 1988. The same company had produced, among others, Jonathan Butler and Billy Ocean. The following year Mrubata released his debut album Firebird and went on to form Brotherhood, a band with names such as guitarist Jimmy Dludlu, pianist Nhlanhla Magagula and Lucas Khumalo winning the Gilbey's Music for Africa prize in 1990.
In 1992 Mrubata joined Hugh Masekela’s Lerapo and toured the world, playing alongside guitarist Lawrence Matshiza and pianist Moses Molelekwa. Mrubata continued creating his own bands, Cape to Cairo and McCoy and Friends. In the mid-1990s, he made the first of a series of albums as a leader, with Face the Music winning the 2003 South African Music Award (SAMA) in the Traditional Jazz category and Icamagu Livumile winning the same award in 2005. Besides his international musical journey, Mrubata also did some scoring work for South African productions about journalist Bloke Modisane and in 2001 starring in a Norwegian production based on the life of John Coltrane. In June 2007 Mrubata travelled with Paul Hanmer to Congo DR and Kinshasa to participate in conducting music workshops with Belgian and Congolese musicians for a local jazz festival. In 2008, he won his third SAMA in the category Best Traditional Jazz Album for his album The Brasskap Sessions Volume 1.
Mrubata's current music involvement includes producing and teaching, alongside being a family man. His ambition is to keep our kind of music alive here at home and sharing his South African experiences through music with the rest of the continent and the world at large.
He is married with four kids and currently lives in Johannesburg.
About Siya Charles
Siya Charles, previously joined Newport Live in 2024 for a performance with her group, as Newport Live Celebrated the 30th Anniversary of South African Freedom Day by 4 unique, award-winning jazz artists from South Africa. These shows commemorated the April 1994 elections that brought Nelson Mandela to power.
Siya Charles is a tenor/ bass trombonist, composer and arranger based in New York City.
An alumnus of the University of Cape Town’s South African College of Music, she has worked with the likes of the late Hugh Masekela, Jimmy Dludlu, Nduduzi Makhathini, American/Costa Rican trombonist Luis Bonilla, trombonist Steve Turre, bassist Endea Owens, saxophonist Chad “LB” Lefkowitz Brown, and Grammy Award-winning drummer Ulysses Owens Jr.
Siya has won the jazz component of the Fine Music Radio Bursary, as well as the 1st Emirates Pursuit of Jazz Competition.
She has performed in the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival, Grahamstown Jazz Festival, Arcevia Jazz Feast (Italy), Stockholm Jazz Festival (Sweden), Kongsberg Jazz Festival (Norway), Blue Note Jazz Club (USA), Birdland Jazz Club (USA), Dizzy’s Jazz Club (USA), Calabar Jazz Festival (Nigeria), Standard Bank Acacia Jazz Festival (Moçambique), Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland) and the Jazz is Back Festival (Croatia).
After many years of serving as a reliable sideman, she has established her newly formed musical collective titled: "The Siya Charles Sextet", featuring some of South Africa’s finest jazz musicians. The compositions and arrangements of The Siya Charles Sextet are inspired by classic jazz, South African jazz, the bebop and post-bop era, as well as Brazilian jazz.
Siya is currently completing her Masters in Music degree in jazz studies at the world- renowned Juilliard School. She is a FirstRand Laurie Dippenaar laureate, Jerome L. Greene Fellow and National Arts Council scholarship recipient.
About Wilerm Delisfort
Born in Little Haiti Miami, Florida, in 1983 he began playing piano at the age of ten and quickly showed a natural talent for music. As a young man he would go on to study with south Florida legends such as John McMinn, Melton Mustafa, Christopher Dorsey. After graduating high school, he would go on to study and play with musicians such as Marty Robinson, Longineu Parsons, Leon Andersen, Rodney Jordan and more. Later on in Chicago he went on to study with the great Willie Pickens, and Ronald Carter who truly inspired him to want to be a great educator in music. This would lead him on a path where he would work with some of Chicago's greats such as Von & George Freeman, Ernest Dawkins, AACM, Fareed Haque, Bobby Broom. Also with some of Chicago's young lions on the come up such as Marquis Hill, Christopher McBride, Corey Wilkes, Maurice Brown, Milton Suggs, MaKaya McCraven, Junius Paul and so many more. After 3 years of working in the great city Chicago, he would go on to move to New York city where he is based right now.
Delisfort, as a leader, has released two albums: Freedom Riders (2009) and Black Element(s) (2023). On many other projects as a sideman has also been featured on albums by other artists, such as Wayne Tucker, Dezron Douglas, Nickel & Dime Ops, Chris Davis, Chris Massey, Ernest Dawkins (Organ & Piano), Fareed Haque, Milton Suggs, Jason Marshall (Organ), Patrick Terbrack and more..
About Nicole Ordreman-Valenciano
Nicole Odreman-Valenciano is a Venezuelan-American vocalist and instrumentalist from Miami, FL. Nicole has been involved in music directing and playing in live musicals since 2015. Previous music directing credits include Annie and Aladdin Jr. at Miami Children’s Theater (2016) and Be More Chill at Area Stage Company (2022) Nicole has played bass in Loxen Production’s 2019 and 2022 run of In The Heights at FIU and Adrienne Arsht Center respectively, as well as keys, saxophones, and flute for ASC’s Be More Chill! Nicole graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory and is currently working on her Master’s degree in jazz at the Juilliard School.
About Kabelo Boy Mokhatla
Born in Tembisa, South Africa, Kabelo Boy Mokhatla is a playful yet socially conscious drummer, composer, and bandleader whose music fuses the warm sounds of home with experimental jazz. His sound world evokes the intimacy of Erik Satie, the spiritual urgency of Zim Ngqawana, and the fire of Albert Ayler. Currently completing his Master’s in Jazz Percussion at the Manhattan School of Music (NYC) under the mentorship of Obed Calvaire, Mokhatla has already appeared on international stages such as NPR’s Tiny Desk (with Nduduzo Makhathini Trio) and the North Sea Jazz Festival.
A Hugh Masekela Heritage Scholar at Manhattan School of Music, Mokhatla has performed at prestigious venues such as Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club, Blue Note Tokyo, The Jazz Gallery, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and Birdland Hamburg. Festival appearances include Standard Bank Joy of Jazz, Cape Town Jazz Festival, Ljubljana Jazz Festival, Northern Cadence Jazz Series, and Umbokodo Jazz Festival. He has shared the stage with Nduduzo Makhathini, Ingrid Jensen, Jon Benitez, Ernest Dawkins, Linda Sikhakhane, and Terri Lyne Carrington.
*Artist lineup subject to change
About the Recital Hall at Emmanuel Newport
the Recital Hall at Emmanuel Newport, located at Emmanuel Church, is a beautiful and acoustically exceptional 182-seat venue that is home to Newport Classical’s year-round Chamber Series, in addition to educational workshops and gatherings. This space also serves as the main offices for the organization. The Recital Hall is now equipped with air conditioning.
PARKING
There is limited, free parking available in the lot directly across the street from Emmanuel Church. We anticipate this will become full quickly on concert days and encourage you to leave ample time to find street parking in the surrounding neighborhood. Additional parking is located along Dearborn, Baptist and Perry Streets, as well as Thames and Spring Streets.
ACCESSIBILITY
Fully wheelchair accessible. An accessible ramp is available through the main entrance.
REFRESHMENTS
Beer and wine will be sold on site by our sponsors from Greenvale Vineyards and Narragansett Beer.
Event venue & nearby stays
the Recital Hall at Emmanuel Newport, 42 Dearborn Street, Newport, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.