They started as teenagers jamming in school and church bands, now four friends from Cape Town are set to take the stage at one of Africa’s biggest music festivals, not as sidemen, but as a headline act in their own right.
Now the four-piece band known as The Ploemies will make their official debut at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) later this month. And for drummer Keno Carelse, it is a full circle moment.
“When the email came, we thought it was fake,” he laughs. “Like surely someone’s playing games. But it is real, and now we are here. It is probably our biggest gig yet.”
“It feels unreal,” he told “Independent Media” in a recent interview.
“We’ve played at the festival before, backing other artists or jamming , but this is the first time The Ploemies are there as ourselves, with our own sound, our own music.”
The group’s origins go back to South Peninsula High School where Keno, Bradley and Duncan first met in the school jazz band. They stayed close through small gigs and weekend rehearsals, eventually naming the band The Ploemies on a whim when Duncan needed a name for a gig in 2022.
“It was kind of a joke at first, " said Carelse. “But then the name stuck- and so did we.”
The group which also includes bassist Shaun Johannes, who Carelse affectionately calls the ''ou ballie'' of the band. Shaun is both a mentor and friend and has played with legends. He's been part of bands like The Little Giants from the beginning, Shaun adds that depth and we all ;earn from one another, Carelse says. Shaun is helping the next generation of South African jazz, which is exactly what this year’s festival theme, “Legacy Meets Tomorrow” is about.
“It’s humbling, " said Carelse, "we've looked up to so many legends over the years - Robbie Jansen, Errol and Alvin Dyers, and George Werner. Some of us even played with them or learnt from them. “Now it is our time to build on what they started.’’
With the band’s first album released earlier this week, their music forms the backbone of the set they will perform. It’s entirely original music, no covers and blends elements of Ghoema, funk, reggae, Latin and jazz.
“We wanted to make something that felt true to Cape Town, " Carelse said. “But not in an unusual way. Everyone always says Ghoema is the Cape Town sound and it is - but we wanted to show there’s more to it. So we mix it up.”
“It is hard to put it in one box.” “Our backgrounds are different, so we all bring something unique. “But jazz ties us together, " Carelse says. “Some of us grew up in church bands, and others in jazz combos - we’ve all listened to everything from Phil Collins to Robbie Jansen.
They will be performing music from their album during their set at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival on Friday, April 25, as well as at the free community concert on April 24.
“We want people to experience the music and feel something real, says Carelse. “It is more than sound, but who we are.”
Even as amapiano and hip hop dominate charts, The Ploemies believe there’s still a space for jazz, especially when it is reimagined for a new generation.“Young people are open to anything, " says Carelse. “When we played at the National Youth Jazz Festival in Makhanda last year, we were nervous. It was a party set, and we thought, ‘is this going to work?’ But the crown loved it. That’s when we realised, this thing we’ve got, it’s working.”
Asked what advice he'd give to the other young artists coming up in school bands like they did, Carelse did not hesitate. “ Discipline. Stay consistent, keep your head down and trust the process. There were ups and downs, times where we did not know if music was the right thing. But if you love it, you keep going.”
* Tickets are available at ticketmaster.co.za. For more information, visit capetownjazzfest.com, download the CTIJF Festival App, and follow @officialcapetownjazzfest on social media for exclusive content, artist takeovers, and behind-the-scenes moments.