Jazz legend Wynton Marsalis to perform in SA

Famed American trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis is sharing memories and music in South Africa.

On Tuesday, Marsalis talked about his life during a question-and-answer session at Johannesburg's Market Theatre. Later this week, he will perform at the city's annual Joy of Jazz festival.

As a trumpeter, Marsalis has won Grammy awards in both the jazz and classical categories. As a composer, he was the first jazz artist to win the Pulitzer Prize, in 1997 for "Blood on the Fields," which explores the themes of slavery and the creativity of black Americans.

Sibongile Khumalo, one of South Africa's best-loved singers, welcomed him as a "cultural activist" to the Market Theatre. Under white racist rule, multiracial audiences and casts challenged apartheid with original art at the Market.