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Vuma Levin

Born a South African and raised during the unstable interregnum years of Post-Apartheid South Africa, Guitarist Vuma Ian Levin's music is an attempt to interrogate conceptions of identity, nation, culture, power and being both globally and in the emergent, post 1994 South African Democratic project.

First picking the guitar up at 14, Levin later received lessons from the South African Jazz guitar legend, Johnny Fourie. He completed a National Diploma at the Tswane University of Technology going on to be presented with the best Guitarist Award (2008). In 2009, Levin was selected as the guitarist in the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band, led by Feya Faku, which culminated in a performance at the Grahamstown Jazz Festival and later at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival. Never one to shy away from a challenge, he went on to attend the prestigious Conservatorium Van Amsterdam where he graduated cum laude and earned the Non-EU Talent Scholarship to finance his masters study. In 2014 his quintet, won the 2nd prize in the National Leg of the Keep an Eye Awards (Netherlands). He went on to win the 3rd prize, incentive prize and prize for the most original band in the international leg of the Keep an Eye Jazz Awards, which featured bands from New York, Helsinki, Amsterdam, Vienna and Philadelphia.

Finally, In 2014 he was nominated by the Jazz Guitar Department for the Eindwerk Prijs and went on to be announced as one of the 9 national finalists. Levin, has performed with some of the top musicians in South Africa including: Feya Faku, Herbie Tsoeli, Nduduzo Makhatini, Kevin Davidson, Ayanda Sikade, Sisonke Xonti, Justin Bellairs, Dan Selsick, Roland Moses and many more. He has performed at a number of top venues and festivals in South Africa and Abroad including: Standard Bank Joy of Jazz(Youth Band), Grahamstown Jazz Festival(Youth Band), More Jazz Series (Mozambique, Maputo), Mahogany Room, The Crypt, Tagore's, Afrikan Freedom Station, The Orbit, De Tor (Enschede, Netherlands), Bimhuis (Amsterdam, Netherlands), Badcuyp (Amsterdam, Netherlands), The Amsterdam Jazz Festival(Amsterdam, Netherlands), The Moors Jazz Festival (Moors, Germany), Jazz Showcase (Budapest, Hungary). Finally he has received lessons from and attended masterclasses by; Lage Lund, Jesse Van Ruller, Gilad Hekselman, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Terryl Stafford, Reinier Baas, Ambrose Akinmusire, Gary Wittner, Helen Sung, Martijn Van Iterson, Maarten van de Grinten and many more...

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Vuma Levin: Musical Painting

Read "Vuma Levin: Musical Painting" reviewed by Seton Hawkins


South African guitarist and composer Vuma Levin has been receiving significant accolades in local and international circles, and it's easy to see why. A thoughtful, intelligent improviser and bandleader, Levin is also a highly thought-provoking composer, one intent on exploring the music's role in commenting on and shaping societal discourse. Indeed, with last year's release of his second album, Life and Death on the Other Side of the Dream, Levin offered a breathtaking musical exploration: mixing strong compositional ...

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"Vuma Levin is destined to be one of South African jazz’s greatest musicians" —Sihle Mthembu (Mail & Gaurdian)

"He’s an eclectically cutting edge, aesthetically refreshing new addition to the contemporary African jazz scene. He’s the personification of these exciting times for Africa and Africans around the globe. Watch out Kamasi Washington, Vuma Levin’s in the building." —Edward Kgosidintsi (Afro Punk)

"This album stands out, not only by virtue of the technical triumphs in everything from musicianship to the recording quality, but also because of the nuance and poignancy of its message elegantly delivered in a hybrid aesthetic of head and heart thinking as one." —Gerrit Strydom (The Conmag)

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