He has performed on stages in Europe such as the, Euro De Afrique festival in Italy (Along with such names as Yusuf N’dour and Papa Wemba), the North Sea Jazz Festival, in The Hague, Holland 2000 and 2002 and the Swedish Jazz Celebration in Sweden, Stockholme in 2006.
Back in South Africa he has frequented the stages of the North Sea Jazz Festival Cape Town, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 (as a leader with his own band Strait and Narro) and 2006 Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festivals 2000 to 2005 and Old Mutual Jazz festivals. Playing with such names as Jimmy Dludlu, Zim Nqwana, Musa Manzini, Gloria Bosman, Marcus Wyatt and Errol Dyers to mention a few.
ARTISTS
He has performed with the likes of, Pharoah Sanders, Louis Moholo, Winston Mankunku, Rene McLean, Hein van de Geyn, Zim Nqwana, Gloria Bosman, Selealo Selota, Judith Sepuma, Errol and Alvin Dyers, Jimmy Dlu Dlu and. And on the same stage with such jazz artists as Cedar Walton, Andrew Hill, Donald Brown, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Danilo Perez and Yusef Lateef.
AWARDS
Mark is has currently been awarded the accolade of Standard Bank Young Jazz Artist for 2008. Previous luminaries of this award are the likes of Sibongeli Khumalo, Johnny Clegg and a host of other prolific South African arftists. Mark has won the SAMA (South Africa Music Award) for Best Producer (in all catagories) in 2007 for Moreira Chonguisa's 'The Journey'. Mark has won the 2004 South Afican Music Award (SAMA) for Best Producer for Jimmy Dlu Dlu's 'Afrocentric' as well. He also has three years of musical theatre experience in musicals ‘Poison’ and ‘Kat and the Kings’ (Both David Kramer/Taliep Petersen productions), and received the FNB Vita Award for most outstanding performer in musical theatre (1995/96) for the latter.
Has also won the Adcock Ingram (Jazz) competition of 2000 (university level).
In recognition of Mark’s musicianship and talent, he was chosen as Johnnie Walker’s Jazz Impression’s ‘Musician of the year for 2004’.
PRODUCING
Besides performing he also enjoys producing music for albums released on various record labels. Among these are Jimmy Dlu Dlu’s album ‘Affrocentric’, with Universal records (on which he plays and has co-produced).. He has also produced Moreira Chonguisa’s debut album, The Journey, for More Productions in 2005. Mark also produced the album ‘Our language’ of the group Tribe with Ready rolled records in 2003. The latter is a group of which Mark is both a composer and pianist.
Mark has also produced his own band, Strait and Narro, the album called, Ahead, for Tritone Music. Mark is also the Executive producer on the album.
RECORDING
He has recorded with Errol Dyers on his album ‘Kou-Kou Wa’, Steve Dyer on ‘Life Cycle’ and Marcus Wyatt’s album, ‘Africans in space’ all with the Sheer sound recording company. He has also recorded with Jimmy Dlu Dlu on his albums ‘Winds of change and Afrocentric’ for Universal Music,
CURRENTLY
He is currently involved with his own group, Strait and Narro, a seven piece band featured on their debut album, Ahead and Johnnie Walker Jazz Impressions vol. 1.
The band boasts a once in a lifetime opportunity, as they were the only South African band to be selected by the Department of Arts and Culture (of South Africa) to represent South Africa at the Olympic Games of 2004 in Athens, Greece.
Mark’s role in the band is that of composer, leader and arranger. The band boasts a group of new breed younger musicians in the likes of Buddy Wells, alto and tenor saxophones (Tribe), Lee Thomson, trumpet (Golliwog, Springbok Nude Girls), Kevin Gibson, drums, samples (Jimmy Dlu Dlu,Wired to the floor), Gavin Minter (Wired to the floor) Wesley Rusten, bass (Gramadoelas) and Melanie Scholtz, vocals and poetry (Jimmy Dlu Dlu).
The music played by the band has a wide ranging sound pallete and incorporates a fresh urban South African sound fused with elements of Hip-hop, Trip-hop, Funk and Jazz.
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