The
Black Jacks
"The
BLK JKS are rock mavericks, sonic pioneers, social commentators
and all round nice guys" - Mail & Guardian.
Once you've seen the BLK JKS
(pronounced the Black Jacks) live, performing their electrifying
blend of uniquely South African, afro alternative
rock, you simply know they're destined for
great things.
Without a doubt the most exciting new band
to explode onto the local music scene in a while, they were
the 'surprise package' runners up
to Martin Rocka and the Sick Shop in the 2005 Global
Battle of the Bands, serving as fair warning...
that the BLK JKS have arrived!
The four piece outfit consists of their two
self taught guitarists Linda (lead vocals)
and Mpumi, who also represent the BLK JKS
"old guard" remaining from the original band that formed
just over two years ago. The new recruits brought with them
the wisdom of their formal musical training, with Tshepang
on drums, and the "musical veteran" amongst
them, Molefi on bass.
"Rock is back, and it's black.
This is what alternative rock has been waiting for in this
country, if not the world." - Rick De La Rey, SL Magazine
While apartheid left S.A with a stigma that
rock was strictly for white people... BLK JKS are smashing
those social barriers with the very essence of their groundbreaking
being. Not wanting to be characterized simply as a novelty
'black rock band', they really are a testament to the eclectic
urban culture sweeping the nation, in which music definitely
sees no colour. "Besides, rock was originally a
black thing" says lead vocalist Linda.
"The BLK JKS definitely stand out as
one of the bravest of the new generation of local music
collectives, pioneering a way forward and creating a new
sound that is uniquely our own. They embrace myriad styles
that are already present in South Africa's rich musical
culture, including rock, jazz, afro-pop, funk, kwaito and
many others" - Lloyd Geydye, Mail & Guardian.
BLK JKS sound simply can't be boxed
into one genre, as Mpumi explains. "We never set out
to make rock music. We wanted to make a band playing the
type of music we love to hear, individually. Clearly our
music is neither jazz, nor maskandi, rap nor kwaito. It's
something else... straight from the heart, and although
it might be closer to rock, we regard what we're playing,
as black music."
"You end up getting all these adjectives
and superlatives to describe the band, because if you just
say we are rock, you're throwing people off"
says Linda.
While not always immediately evident, their
music contains its own unique element of consciousness,
and a very real message within it. You may have to listen
to a track several times over to catch it, and maybe that's
the magical charm about their music. "We're
a band that represents reality. We sing about things that
are happening now, the good things, and the bad things,"
says Molefi. "If there are too many taxi accidents,
someone needs to say something about it. If people are starving
because leaders are fighting, we have to speak out about
what's affecting us."
Three of the four members are in their early
to mid 20's, all three also hail from the same middle
class suburb in the far eastrand of Johannesburg, called
Spruitview, which they're all still proud to call
home. Molefi the eldest in the band is the only member with
roots elsewhere, having grown up in Soweto during the turbulent
times of yesteryear.
"BLK JKS play free music with no rules" says
Tsepang. With such a wide array of influences, which vary
from traditional jazz, to the likes of Mars Volta, Carlos
Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, BB King, Stimela, Led
Zeppelin, Harare, Pink Floyd and everything in between,
it's no wonder the band seems to capture the hearts and
minds of every crowd lucky enough to have seen them perform.
"BLK JKS rekindles the fires of Hendrix-era
rock music, and blows away audiences with their violent
guitar antics" - SL Magazine
Their first ever public release was the single "SK
1", which stunned listeners in April this year. The
track featured on the 'Denim Issue' compilation
distributed with SL magazine. The buzz caused by the release
just further fueled the already growing media excitement
surrounding the band and the forthcoming release of their
EP scheduled for early '07.
Countless interviews and features in publications
such as The Star, Cosmopolitan, Sunday Times, Weekly Mail
& Guardian, SL and Stage magazine, websites JHBlive.com,
5fm.co.za, Rage.co.za and television inserts on SABC News,
E-TV, music variety shows Noted and Street Journal, have
all pitted the BLK JKS as the next big thing.
www.MySpace.com/BLKJKS
Fan mail and general info: [email protected]
Bookings and Media: [email protected]
076-590-0564 / 011-485-2518
