Kingsley Buitendag, a Masters’ student in the Rhodes Music Department, has been selected as one of two finalists in the Jazz/Popular Music category of the prestigious SAMRO Overseas Scholarships Competition, competing for a R170 000 scholarship to further his music studies overseas.
To qualify, Buitendag had to submit three pieces, one arranged for a quartet in a traditional South African style, one for an 18-piece big band in a traditional swing style, and one for a solo instrument in a Latin style. “It is difficult to obtain funding for overseas study, so this is a great opportunity,” says Buitendag.
The title of Buitendag’s traditional South African arrangement for quartet is “Mr Gaulana”, which is a tribute to one of the Eastern Cape’s most influential jazz guitarists and composers, Lulama Gaulana, with whom Buitendag has worked over the past few years.
Buitendag’s arrangement for quartet and his arrangement for solo piano will be performed at the gala evening of the competition on 28 August at the University of Johannesburg Arts Centre.
Buitendag’s supervisor for composition at Rhodes is Music & Musicology Department HOD Professor Marc Duby, who encouraged him to enter the competition.