Four young men from Soweto – Lerato Lichaba, Simangaliso Dlamini, Tubatsi Moloi and Xolani Mtshali – recently premiered their documentary.
They are a part of the music band Urban Village and they celebrate the Soweto lifestyle through their music.
Hosted at eDikeni, an ubuntu-centric restaurant tucked away in Africa’s commercial heart, Sandton, Johannesburg, the “Urban Village - The Documentary” premiere saw creatives, the media and the general public, in attendance.
Directed by Vladimir Cagnolari, the film invites viewers to catch a glimpse into the lives of the band, what it was like growing up in the township and how apartheid squeezed everyone together.
The band reminisces about life during and after apartheid and how people used music as their coping mechanism.
One of the most-played music genres at that time was Marabi.
To explain the sound, which they have adopted, they said: “Marabi is a medley of amazing South African standards from amazing artists.
“It is through this music that they were able to reflect that time they struggled against apartheid.
“It is through this music that they were able to share what they were feeling and put their voice out there.
“This type of music is inspired by a lot of blues, American jazz because of the swing, as well as some of the rhythms that developed in the townships around that time.”
It also portrays the life of many permanent residents in the township who came from rural areas to seek greener pastures. As such, they have a song dedicated to them titled “Izivunguvungu” (the storms of life).
“Izivunguvungu” is a song inspired by the Zulu traditional music genre called Isicathamiya.
It is performed by Zulu migrant workers in an opera style.
The song is about striving to overcome the storms and hardships of life and about the promise of the return home.”
Through their music, which features in the documentary, they speak about xenophobia.
The subject is evident in songs such as “Inkani”, one of the hit singles on their debut album “Idondolo”.
“’Inkani’ (stubbornness), is a song written when we had many of the xenophobic attacks going on in South Africa.
This song was a message to all Africans to ease up the stubbornness and work together as a nation and grow together,” they explained.
“Idondolo” released in January this year and is only available on vinyl and CD.
Watch “Urban Village – The Documentary” below