Johannesburg - Multi-award-winning musician Thandiswa Mazwai is thrilled to bring her previously sold-out show “A Letter to Azania” to the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town on February 25.
“We are so excited to finally bring this production to Cape Town. Fans are in for a show like never before,” says the legendary singer.
A Letter to Azania is music that tracks a letter the singer is writing to “Azania” as a place of freedom and that she says takes the audience on a sonic exploration of the utopian idea of Azania while expressing the melancholy that comes with a dream deferred.
“The show opens with the words of revolutionary Che Guevara: ‘The revolution is driven by great feelings of love. A love for the people, a love for country, and a love for justice’,” says Mazwai.
The Ingoma hitmaker explains that she uses her music to create new worlds and calls on listeners to awaken their imaginations and remember the teachings of the past as they forge a new world.
In this audio-visual experience curated by Mazwai in partnership with the Artscape Theatre, music fanatics can expect a range of sounds that have influenced her recordings and performances over the years: jazz, kwaito, Afrofunk, reggae, gospel and traditional music.
There will be songs from her albums, such as Nizalwa Ngobani, Transkei Moon, Ingoma, and Jikijela, and renditions of tracks by some of her favourite musicians.
“In the same spirit as Natalie Coles, ‘unforgettable’. This show includes a duet performance with the late great Hugh Masekela.”
Recognised as one of the most influential musicians in South Africa, Mazwai has performed all over the world at platforms including the 2010 World Cup Opening Ceremony, the Apollo Theatre, Radio City Hall, the Cannes Film Festival, Africa Express, the BBC World Music Awards, TED, Afropunk, and the Carnegie Hall Citywide Festival, among others.
She has also shared the stage with legends including Salif Keita, Hugh Masekela, Busi Mhlongo, Stevie Wonder, Cesaria Evora and Paul Simon.
Her first project, Zabalaza (2004), reached double platinum status and won numerous awards, including the Kora Award for Best African Female and four South African Music Awards. Her debut album, Ibokwe (2009), and third album, Belede (2016), reached gold status within a few weeks of release.
The Star