RSS feedPosts Tagged ‘south africa’
UMOJA: a celebration of music and song returns to the West End
Posted on December 5th, 2011 in Songlines Blog by Songlines Intern.
UMOJA, the South African hit that celebrates song and dance, is returning to the West End in the new year. The Peacock Theatre will host this all singing, all dancing extravaganza from January 31-February 19. Originally created by Todd Twala and Thembi Nyandeni as a way to remind South Africans of their heritage, UMOJA promises to be a brilliant evening of entertainment for everyone.
With a cast of 30 singers, dancers and musicians, UMOJA manages to incorporate gumboot dancing, Sophiatown jazz, gospel and kwaito into one epic performance. The production premiered in Johannesburg in 2000 and has since toured the world securing two popular runs in the West End already, as well as receiving multiple awards along the way.
For more information and to buy tickets visit www.sadlerswells.com
Photo: Eric Simon
Hugh Masekela to receive 2011 WOMEX Award
Posted on October 29th, 2011 in Songlines Blog by Alexandra Petropoulos.
Every year WOMEX (World Music Expo) gives out three awards, one of which is the WOMEX Artist award for musical excellence, social importance, political impact, and lifetime achievement. This year’s winner is the South African trumpet prodigy Hugh Masekela.
Set to perform at the WOMEX Award ceremony tomorrow in Copenhagen, Masekela was given the award for his inspiring fight against the South African apartheid and political voice as well as his jazz trumpet legacy. Supporting and championing South African’s cultural heritage, Masekela is recognised as a both a cultural icon and jazz legend.
Masekela will be giving his award money towards the charity MAAPSA – Musicians & Artists Assistance Programme of South Africa. After battling his own 44-year drug and alcohol addiction, Masekela says “the one thing that I think all musicians who have recovered from addiction of any kind have found, is that support from people who understand the specific challenges of addiction in the entertainment industry was crucial in helping them emerge into sobriety. Alcohol and drug dependence are destroying our great nation.”
You can read more about Hugh Mesekela and his award on the WOMEX website.
Brace yourself for shangaan electro!
Posted on June 6th, 2011 in Songlines Blog by NatH.
Give yourself a happy five minutes and check out the new South African street dance phenomenon shangaan electro on YouTube:
It’s a fantastic, million bpm sound mash of marimba beats, keyboards and vocal distortions used as the basis for the ultimate dance off. Think Derek Zoolander meets Monty Python as dancers enter the ring, often dressed in bright jumpsuits and comic masks, and proceed to see how fast they can move their legs and shake their booties. It’s frenetic stuff.
If you want more try the Honest Jon’s release – Shangaan Electro: New Wave Dance Music from South Africa – or give it a try yourself at Rich Mix in London on June 25.
New opera charting the life of Nelson Mandela opens in Cape Town
Posted on June 16th, 2010 in World Music by Songlines.
Italy had Pavarotti’s ‘Nessun Dorma’ for Italia 90, now South Africa has African Songbook for its own World Cup, an opera based on the life of Nelson Mandela opening in Cape Town on June 17.
African Songbook: A Musical Tribute to the Life of Nelson Mandela is presented by Cape Town Opera and features the sounds of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, the Voice of the Nation Chorus and Fezeka High School Choir.
It will run the gamut from choral music of the Transkrei, to 50s jive and the apartheid sounds of the 80s. Composed in three acts by cellist Allan Stephenson, professor of jazz Mike Campbell and Kwa-Zulu Natal composer Roelof Temmingh, the opera features three Mandelas singing to represent his life as an 18-year-old, a 30-something and an older man.
The opera is written and directed by Michael Williams.
