Tribute to Gloria Bosman will be a trip down memory lane – Titi Luzipo

Jazz vocalist Titi Luzipo, who met the late Gloria Bosman while in high school, is honoured to be chosen to pay tribute to the music diva. 

Luzipo, who was born and bred in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, is set to remember the renowned singer through song at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz event in Sandton, Johannesburg, next month.

The 30-year-old singer, who has just landed a job as a music lecturer at North West University, was a curtain raiser for Bosman while she was doing matric. After her performance, she says Bosman was impressed and a long relationship between them began.

When they performed together last year as part of the female band at the Joy of Jazz, Luzipo never thought that less than a year later, she would be performing at the same event to pay tribute to Bosman.

Bosman died in March after a short illness. 

Luzipo, a very versatile vocalist in her own right, has promised to take jazz enthusiasts down memory lane.

She has performed locally and internationally in places like Power Festival in Switzerland, Frankfurt International Theater for Africappella in Frankfurt, Mittel Music Festival in Italy, The Cultural Seasons Festival in Accra, Ghana, Cape Town Jazz Festival, National Arts Festival in Makhanda and the Moretele Jazz Music Festival. 

“I remember that I was curtain-raising for her. She was impressed and being a mother herself, she came to my mother and congratulated her for raising such a talented young lady. I remember the following year, I was going to Cape Town to study music. She played a big role in my career as a student and artist. 

“Gloria believed in education and many people did not know that when she died she was busy with her studies. She had gone back to university at the age of 48.

"I feel proud that I will be paying tribute to her,” said Luzipo. 

Luzipo, who released a single titled Freedom last month, has promised jazz lovers great music.

She will be taking from Bosman’s rich repertoire and giving people a taste of her own compositions. 

“I think more than anything we had a very beautiful chemistry. That chemistry will be evident on stage between myself and the band. I am using the band she was using just before she died. I will be celebrating her rich legacy. The band knows her music well. 

“I think it’s going to be a trip down memory lane on my end as an artist. I’ll be doing some songs that I haven’t done in a very long time from my own music. I’m really looking forward to that. I will also be part of Allen Kwela’s tribute where I will join Billy Monama.”

Luzipo, who lost her father in 2022, said the loss had affected her so much that the process of composing music took a back sit.

However, she said working with students had been an inspiration and she begun writing new music. 

“I am teaching commercial music at North West University from Tuesday to Thursday. It is a lot of work but I am enjoying what I am doing. Whenever I have performances during the week I shift my classes around to accommodate that particular schedule.” 

Luzipo comes from a music family where her mother was a singer. Her grandfather, CB Qwesha, was a musical genius and revered composer of classical masterpieces. 

After matric, she studied BMus in Jazz Performance at the University of Cape Town.

Her music career began in Sunday School. She took music as one of her subjects in high school. 

bambalelep@sowetan.co.za