Win tickets to Playhouse Company’s Maskandi concert
This popular brand of Zulu folk music will be staged at the Playhouse Drama Theatre in Durban on Saturday, 20 December.
IF you’re a lover of Maskandi music, diarise Saturday, 20 December – that’s when fans of this popular brand of Zulu folk music will flock to Durban’s Playhouse Company for the Maskandi Concert, featuring some of the best known talent in this indigenous genre.
The concert includes such household names as Phuz’ekhemisi, Madala Kunene, Ezikabhaka, Madosini and Vumile Mngoma. The MC’s are local personality Henry Dlamini, better known as ‘Juba Special’ and radio personality from Ukhozi FM Ngizwe Mchunu.
Phuz’ekhemisi (which roughly translates in English as ‘Drink the Medicine’) needs little introduction to local music aficionados. He is widely acknowledged as the king of Maskandi, exposing the Maskandi style to a global audience. In 2002, he was one of the African acts invited to perform at the closing celebrations for the Soccer World Cup in Japan.
Madala Kunene has come a long way since he started busking on Durban’s beachfront at the age of seven and now performs to audiences around the world.
Kunene’s repertoire includes playing for Nelson Mandela at a show to honour his release from Robben Island. The story goes that when they met again at another benefit show in Durban, Mandela smiled and said: “It’s you again. I wish you could play for me everywhere I go.” There could be no better tribute to a musician than that.
Both musicians headlined a double bill showcasing Maskandi music at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in October.
Vumile Mngoma started her Maskandi musical group in order to play what she feels was the more popular umkhomazi style or umsinga style of Maskandi that most musicians were not performing.
Madosini Latozi Mpahleni grew up in the Eastern Cape and is known for playing traditional instruments such as the uhadi and mhrubhe musical bows, as well as the isitolotolo.
Zamokwakhe ‘Bhaka’ Nzama won the SATMA 2014 Award for “Best Song of the Year” category with his popular group EzikaBhaka. They also beat more than 100 artists to win “Most Downloaded Song” category.
So go along to appreciate this rich repertoire of unique guitar playing by some of the best Maskandi artists in the country at the Playhouse Drama Theatre in Durban on Saturday, 20 December at 11am. Tickets cost R65 each and can be booked through Computicket or at the door.
