Kranshoek Hosts AIR Project While Celebrating African Music Legacy 

AIR Project - Prof Dizu Plaajies
Published: January 31st, 2025

Kranshoek Hosts AIR Project to Empower Artists While Celebrating African Music Legacy

The African Indigenous Renaissance (AIR) Project is set to launch in Kranshoek, Plettenberg Bay, from January 20 to March 20, 2025. This transformative program aims to equip 16 aspiring artists with the skills to thrive in the region’s vibrant tourism industry.

Participants will receive hands-on training from Professor Dizu Plaatjies (Head of the UCT Ethnomusicology Department) and Geoffrey Tracey (multi-instrumentalist, educator, and cultural facilitator). The program will blend practical business development with a deep appreciation of African music heritage.

Prof Dizu Plaatjies
Prof Dizu Plaatjies

More than just a skills development initiative, the AIR Project is a significant cultural milestone. It honours the legacy of three generations of African music pioneers, the Tracey family, whose work has influenced the preservation and celebration of indigenous African music.

Geoffrey Tracey, who has a rich background in both African and Western music, has lectured at Rhodes University, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and the University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience passed down by his grandfather Hugh Tracey and father Andrew Tracey, both giants in the field of African music scholarship. 

Through a dynamic partnership between the Cape Town Arts Festival (CTAF), Ariva Arts Foundation, Bitou Municipality, Griqua National Conference, Western Cape Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS), National Arts Council  of South  Africa (NAC), Department of Sports, Arts and Culture (DSAC), and the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP5), the AIR Project offers a unique opportunity for youth in rural Kranshoek to engage with the rich cultural and musical traditions of Africa. This project brings the best of academic knowledge and cultural insight, celebrating a deep heritage of music research that has shaped African musical identity for over a century.

Hugh Tracey, the patriarch of the family, began his pioneering research into African music in 1921, traveling across Zimbabwe and beyond, documenting indigenous musical traditions. His research laid the foundation for the International Library of African Music (ILAM), which was established in 1954 and continues to be a key resource in the study of African music. Hugh’s groundbreaking creation of the kalimba, an adaptation of the mbira, has become one of the most beloved instruments in African musical expression.

One of the first recordings by Hugh Tracey of Karanga men, all mbira njari players, in Cape Town 1929.
One of the first recordings by Hugh Tracey of Karanga men, all mbira njari players, in Cape Town 1929

Andrew Tracey, Geoffrey’s father, expanded on this legacy, focusing on the playing techniques of mbiras and xylophones, and making critical discoveries about the connections between different African musical traditions. 

Andrew’s contributions extended to teaching and public performances, including the original Broadway musical Wait a Minim!, which toured the world for seven years with Andrew as music director, leading to appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. His work also led to numerous publications, and he was recognized with an honorary doctorate and a lifetime achievement award for his outstanding contributions to the field.

“This project is about inspiring musicality, and fostering a broader, musical and cultural awareness of historic Southern African communities,” says Geoffrey Tracey. “I am honoured to carry the knowledge passed down by my grandfather and father, to share it with the youth of Kranshoek, and keep indigenous knowledge systems and practices alive.”

Geoffrey Tracey with Ilam Music
Geoffrey Tracey with Ilam Music

The AIR Project stands as a testament to the enduring power of African music, culture, and scholarship. By honouring the Tracey family’s contributions to the field, it invites the community of Kranshoek – and the world – to connect with a heritage that is as rich and vibrant as the music it celebrates.

About AIR (African Indigenous Renaissance)

The African Indigenous Renaissance (AIR) Project is a transformative cultural initiative designed to teach, honour, preserve, and promote African music and indigenous knowledge. Through workshops, performances, and research, the AIR Project bridges the gap between past and future, creating opportunities for young people to connect with their cultural roots.

About Professor Dizu Plaatjies

Born in Lusikisiki, Pondoland, eastern cape , which in Xhosa is the sound of rustling reeds.Dizu is best known as the founder and former leader of Amampondo. He is a graduate of the College of Music in CT and is now the head of the Ethnomusicology dept of UCT. He started the group Amampondo in the late 70” busking on the streets but achieved international fame in the 1980’s when the group performed at Wembley Stadium during the Nelson Mandela 70 birthday tribute.

However, despite having world tours lined up they could not perform for the next 4 years due to the anti-apartheid movement who was in exile. Dizu now heads up Ibuyambu and they have travelled all around the world. His interest in African percussion music has taken him all over the African continent and he now owns a substantial collection of handmade instruments from Sub Saharan Africa and produces various handmade musical instruments. His latest recordings have won him two SAMA awards.

About Geoffrey Tracey

Geoffrey Tracey is a distinguished educator, performer, and cultural leader. As the third generation of music scholars in his family, Geoffrey has spent his life studying and sharing the musical traditions of Africa. His work focuses on preserving and promoting African musical knowledge, fostering intercultural exchange, and encouraging youth to engage with their cultural heritage.