Description
When Quintin Goliath coined the term Afrikaaps, he gave a name to a language that had long existed in the mouths of Cape Flats communities, but seldom received the recognition it deserved. Two decades later, the word has travelled beyond its origins, becoming a marker of identity for a generation reclaiming the language it speaks. As Jitsvinger, Goliath has spent his career turning that language into an artistic force: through hip-hop, poetry, guitar and education, and as one of the founding voices of Afrikaans hip-hop from the Cape Flats.
On Thursday, 26 November, SeekArt brings Jitsvinger to Cape Town Jazz Club for an evening of two sets, backed by a full band featuring Winston Siljeur on keys, André Hope on bass and Chanté Phillips on drums, with Jitsvinger on vocals and guitar.
His own description of the sound is characteristically vivid: a “sizzling Kaapse cuisine” of rhymes and ballads served over roasted etudes and heritage-drenched harmonies. It is an apt metaphor for a performance that brings the Cape’s musical vocabulary into conversation with hip-hop, improvisation and the rhythms of lived experience. The result is rooted in place without being confined by it, music that carries history into the present tense.
Goliath’s contribution to the cultural landscape has earned significant recognition, including the Western Cape DCAS Neville Alexander Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Promotion of Multilingualism and multiple kykNET Fiesta Awards for the theatre production Afrikaaps, which helped bring the term into wider circulation. His work has travelled across Europe, Asia, South America and the Pacific, carrying the sounds and stories of the Cape to international audiences.
His independent catalogue, Skeletsleutel, Jitsologie, Knapgat and Jitsonova Vol. 1 (Compos Mentis), offers a window into an evolving practice that refuses to separate language from music, or heritage from experimentation.
On 26 November, that body of writing moves from the recorded work to the stage, with a live band giving the words room to breathe, stretch and swing. For those who know Afrikaaps, it is an opportunity to hear their language elevated without losing its edge. For those encountering it for the first time, it is an invitation to listen differently.
Jitsvinger, live at Cape Town Jazz Club. Two sets. One unmistakably Kaapse sound. Hear it live, in Afrikaaps.
Thursday 26 November 2026
Cape Town Jazz Club, Bokeh, 11 Warwick Street, Claremont
19:00 Doors
20:00 First set
21:15 Second set
22:00 Finish
General admission: R250
Students: R150, limited to 30, student card required at the door
Early bird: R150, first 10 tickets only
