The Jazz Bar is not what first comes to mind as a Fringe hotspot but this small, classy venue continues to offer the eclectic, high quality gigs it programmes throughout the year. This appearance by Rise Kagona, former member of the Zimbabwean band the Bhundu Boys and his new outfit is an excellent example of this. Kagona and his band, the rest of whom are Scottish (Kagona being based in the country) play a genre of music he claims to be his own: jit jive. It is a mellow, uplifting hour-and-a-half of music. Kagona’s guitar is punchy and distinctive and he is backed by a strong ensemble, notably an agile xylophonist.
The latter’s occasional forays onto the bongos provided a welcome departure from what was otherwise a somewhat unvaried but nonetheless enjoyable style. Their warm sound is not notably inventive but Kagona, who writes all his own music, provided cool African rhythms often deserving more reaction than the smiles and foot-tapping that this sedate but appreciative audience favoured. Kagona’s preferred method of applause is a hand-over-the-mouth Native American-style calling gesture which the crowd also only attempted half-heartedly.
Kagona, though amiable, is far from electric on stage which doesn’t help. Instead of allowing his music to do the talking, he gave a short speech between songs on topics from religion to Robert Mugabe which, not being terribly interesting or relevant, caused any energy the music had built up to be lost. With a little more enthusiasm in the room, vocal and physical, it seems likely Rise Kagona would have risen to the occasion and played a gig more fitting for this upbeat music.
