Season 2
The award-winning music reality/documentary show Jam Sandwich returned to SABC2 on Tuesday, 19 October with the first of its 13 new episodes.
In this first episode, the hugely successful Jaziel Brothers are matched up with little known gospel group, Back2Basics. Despite strong common ground in their gospel roots, the two artists struggle to reconcile differences in methodology, approach and motivation.
The episode is a testament to the powers of patience and persistence as these two artists work through everything to manage to write a brand new song together and actually finish the experience on good terms.
Jam Sandwich takes well-known artists from across the spectrum of South African music out of their comfort zones and puts them together with contrasting and very different collaboration partners.
The artists spend four days together rehearsing, writing songs and taking part in specific, unfamiliar but fun activities.
The two artists, be they groups or individual, have to write and record a new song together during the four days.
Over 12 episodes, the 24 artists are put together to record 12 unique, new songs. The final episode of the season is a highlights package revealing the best and worst moments of the collaboration sessions.
The show provides the viewer with a bird's eye view into the behind-the-scenes process of song writing and recording. The camera observes everything: the joy, the frustration and the hard work as artists often from wildly different backgrounds, battle against time to meet the Jam Sandwich challenge.
The show also gives insight into the artists' personal lives and their creative process. By mixing diverse artists from different backgrounds, races, areas and genres, it demonstrates just what is possible when South Africans put their minds to co-operating towards a common goal.
The first season, aired in 2008, won two South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs): Best Music Show and Best Concept and Script. As with 2008, the second season features a galaxy of established names as well as hot newcomers.
Artists participating in Season 2 include: Van Coke Kartel, KB, Big Nuz, Bongani Nkwanyana, Gerard Steyn, Alter Irving, Babsy Mlangeni, Kalahari Surfers, Zuluboy, Amu, Death Valley Blues Band, Mapaputsi, Juggernaught, Sonja Heroldt, Phinda, Tlokwe Sehume, Hog Hoggidy Hog, Terrible Twinz, JR and for the first time an international recording artist, Gemma Ray from the UK.