Cape Town - Two-time Grammy winner and Professor of Music Rachel Z will close Music Exchange 2020’s annual conference on Sunday at noon on the Ticketpro platform.
The jazz and rock pianist and keyboardist, who is considered one of the most influential and versatile musical forces of her generation, will discuss the global entertainment landscape, take the audience on an in-depth look of her and husband Omar Hakim’s personal studio space and goes through all the gear they create on.
Rachel has already recorded 10 solo albums as a jazz musician. 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 synthesised 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 session is a fitting close to MEX’s incredibly productive and positive 10th anniversary year.
Over the years, South Africa’s pre-eminent entertainment economy-invested conference, Music Exchange has attracted local and global entertainment industry thought leaders, all who have been instrumental in building and fostering value-add partnerships, job creation and economic development.
This year’s speakers include Charles Goldstuck and Arthur Goldstuck, Siphokazi Jonas, Christian Wright, Lance Stehr, Wiseman Ngubo, Neil Johnson, Callum Stevenson, Karabo Senna, Manqoba Kubheka and Moreira Chonguica
Secure your ticket and watch live or post until 30 September 2020.
For booking details, and more information, go to musicexchange.org.za