The Fischerman’s Orchestra’s tour kicks off with two appearances at the Joy of Jazz festival.
Fischermanns Orchestra is not your average big band jazz outfit. They have spent the last 15 years touring from Cairo to Bolivia, busking on streets and playing jazz festivals with a sound that just does not want to be labelled.
This nine-piece ensemble from Switzerland will be bringing their Space Revolution tour to South Africa this month and in October, with dates in Johannesburg and other major cities. If reviews are anything to go by, it’s a must-see performance, even if you are not a jazz aficionado.
Band leader and bass player Thomas Reist said the group is heading south with a fresh lineup, too.
“Since our last international tour, the Fischermanns Orchestra has seen some changes in membership, and we now have wonderful new musicians in the group,” he said. “For this tour, we’ll be performing brand-new compositions written especially for the orchestra. We are excited to bring these pieces to South African stages.”
Brand-new songs on set list
The band’s roots are in the streets, and that spirit carries over into their concerts. While the ensemble never choreographs what happens on stage, their shows often end up being as visual as they are musical.
“We don’t plan a visual spectacle, but it always comes together naturally,” Reist said. “Because of our street background and our mobile rhythm section, there is constant movement in the performance. That energy translates visually without us even thinking about it.”
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Reist said that for their audiences, the music is a journey rather than a static performance.
“At most of our concerts, we try to take the audience with us on an adventure. By the time they leave, we want them to feel positive and energised. That connection is what makes performing worthwhile,” he said,
‘We want South Africans to feel energised’
Each member of the orchestra contributes to the writing, which gives their sound both depth and variety. “We are lucky to have a number of composers in the band,” Reist shared. “They create pieces tailored to this exact group of musicians, and that’s why our sound is so unique and multidimensional.”
The result is music without borders, he said. It’s free of strict definitions. Jazz is at the centre, but elements of electronic soundscapes, punky vocals, world music, and orchestral textures are pickled into the set. “The music of the Fischermanns Orchestra has no boundaries between genres,” Reist said. “Exploring that space keeps us alive as a band after all these years.”
300 concerts on 4 continents
The band has performed more than 300 concerts on four continents, released eight albums and been recognised with buckets of awards and positive reviews.
“Everywhere we go, people bring their own energy to the concert. We want to share our music here and see what kind of journey South Africans will take with us,” said Reist.
The Fischerman’s Orchestra’s tour kicks off with two appearances at the Joy of Jazz festival in Johannesburg on 26 and 28 September, and they then take on Durban, East London, Gqeberha and Cape Town.
Ticket details vary per city, with sales handled through Ticketmaster, Webtickets and Quicket.
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