Paul Hanmer has been a defining voice in the jazz landscape of the new South Africa since the country’s transition to democracy. His landmark 1997 album Trains to Taung — an imaginary journey to the roots of jazz in South Africa — stands as a poignant exploration of identity in a time of profound change. In December 2024, the album was reissued on vinyl.

Yet Hanmer’s music resists categorization. Classically trained, he moves effortlessly between jazz and chamber music, composing and arranging for formats ranging from tuba duos to full orchestral requiems.

His work draws on the vibrant soundscapes of the Eastern and Western Cape, weaving together traditional instruments and songs, church harmonies, carnival rhythms, the Marabi jazz of the 1920s, and the Mbaqanga (Township Jive) of the 1960s. The result is a sonic tapestry that captures the richness and complexity of South Africa’s cultural soul.

For this special summer week, Hanmer is joined by legendary trumpeter Feya Faku—himself a towering figure in the South African jazz scene. Together, they create a sound that immediately lifts the audience and carries it deep into the musical spirit of southern Africa. They are joined by bassist Fabian Gisler, whose passion for South African jazz dates back to his youth.

As the week unfolds, the trio expands to a quintet, first with the sensitive and expressive drummer Paul Amereller, then with clarinetist Robert Pickup, with whom Hanmer released the duo album Morning into Evening in 2021. The week culminates in a remarkable collaboration with a string quartet drawn from the Zurich Opera House, adding a final, resonant layer to this cross-cultural musical journey.