ZAKES BANTWINI
Upfront With Zakes Bantwini
****
Front row seats to the how and why of Zakes Bantwini’s music.
He rose fromthe shadow of Durban kwaito giant L’Vovo Derrango and carved a path of his own. Today, Zakes Bantwini is one of the most sought-after musicians in the country.
Upfront With Zakes Bantwini delves into why he makes his particular brand of afro-soul and then displays his talent with a wonderful performance at the Soweto Theatre on June 16. Although Bantwini is from KwaZulu-Natal, he chose to commemorate Youth Day in Soweto, and through the cut-away scenes in which we see him getting ready for the show, he explains why.
This documentary features full-length performances of some of his hits, and guests like Tumelo, Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse and Black Coffee. Sandwiched between that are scenes from Bantwini’s everyday life. We get to see him in studio, get commentary from his musical director and even get a peek into his music classes (he is pursuing a degree in music).
Aside from the live element sometimes sounding over-dubbed (only sometimes), this is an insightful and enjoyable offering, whether or not you are into dance music. – Helen Herimbi