Poetry Africa Festival Features Musicians

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The Poetry Africa festival, Durban’s popular poetry feast running this week, features a host of local and international poets with talented musicians opening the sessions each evening.

Musicians include KwaZulu-Natal born Mbuso Khoza, whose music is often referred to as “a delicate mix of deep traditional Zulu music infused with jazz elements”.

Khoza’s vocal skills have thrilled audiences far and wide including in countries such as Senegal, Burkina Faso, Portugal, Switzerland and The Netherlands.

Khoza is a columnist for the Isolezwe newspaper, a radio presenter for Ukhozi FM and a university lecturer.

Another performer Zawadi Ya Mungu of Mandeni on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast brings together gospel and R&B sounds. Her first album, produced by the iconic duo Themba Mkhize and Nduduzo Makhathini, was recorded in 2019 in tribute to Princess Magogo.

Music and dance group Ikusasa Lethu (‘Our Future’) also feature on the programme. Assembled from UKZN’s African Music and Dance programme, the group was established in 2000 as a platform for students to come together to create an original repertoire to be performed in local, national and international spaces.

Three-man band Igolide features Khethelo Madondo (piano and vocals), Oudskul Funk (drums) and Simiso Dlamini (bass). Their musical influences are jazz, neo-soul, afro-soul and traditional Zulu music.

An all-female group, Izimbewu Zekusasa (The Seeds of Our Future), play indigenous instruments including the umrhubhe, guitar, Halifax ceramic ocarina, toca seed shell-shaker and Congo drums. The group was started by Nothando Maphumulo in 2019, a third-year student of African Music and Dance at UKZN.

Also featured is Nicky Shange, who studied Music at Technikon Natal and was discovered in 1998 at the BAT Centre by musician Busi Mhlongo.

‘We are extremely excited about our line-up of musicians who open each evening with a musical introduction for the poets. There is so much similarity between the words that are sung and the words that are spoken and these musicians will complement and set the tone for each session,’ said Programme Curator, Siphindile Hlongwa.

The festival is hosted by UKZN’s Centre for Creative Arts and supported through principal funding from the eThekwini Municipality. The full programme can be viewed on the website http://poetryafrica.ukzn.ac.za/.

Tickets - R60 for adults and R40 for pensioners and students – are available through Computicket or at the door.

Words: Nolwazi Magwaza

Photographs: Supplied