Cape Town based fans of South African cellist and composer, Dr Thokozani Mhlambi, are in for a treat as the accomplished artist prepares to take to the South African College of Music stage on September 16.
Mhlambi has just returned from an Artistic Fellowship at the University of Bayreuth, where he spent his time composing new music, performing in cities such as Munich and Berlin, and collaborating with international musicians.
“The Cape Town show presents an explosive blend of conventional and non-conventional musical elements through the use of an unusual combination of instruments, from China, Congo and Europe,” said Mhlambi.
The 37-year-old KwaZulu-Natal composer who held an artistic residency at the prestigious Cite International des Arts in Paris France, and had his music used as a soundtrack for an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York is known for thinking outside of the proverbial box when it comes to his performances, often incorporating art with music.
“This is a very different show. Firstly, this is my first show, where the underlying fears related to the pandemic have subsided. It offers audiences a chance again to explore, touch and sing together.
“This show is also unique because it seeks to encourage audience response. Audience members will be challenged to not only listen but use their bodies in motion and respond through singing of common tunes with the performers,” said Mhlambi.
He is returning to Cape Town after an intimate performance, entitled Thokozani Mhlambi in Concert, which took place at the same venue in October last year.
“I’m really excited about finally getting a chance to play in Cape Town for the first time this year. Cape audiences are great supporters of my art, so this concert is about giving back,” he said.
In addition to the performance, Mhlambi also has a music video due for release in the last week of September.
“The video was inspired by my stay in Bayreuth, which is a small university town in Germany. It is also the city where the great composer Richard Wagner lived. Some of the scenes in the music video are shot in his house,” said Mhlambi.
Mhlambi’s September concert precedes a North American tour, which he will be embarking on From October to November.
“I will be doing a series of concerts, workshops and interventions in the United States and Canada. One of the highlights is a workshop with community string players in Providence, Rhode Island, who I shall go on to do a performance with,” he said.
EVENT DETAILS
DATE: 16 September 2023
VENUE: South African College of Music
TIME: 6pm
TICKETS: www.webtickets.co.za, and are R150.
Direct booking link for tickets: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/Event.aspx?itemid=1533638152
For more details about Thokozani, visit his website: http://thokozanimhlambi.com or on Facebook: @thokozani.music, Instagram: @thokozani_mhlambi
ABOUT DR THOKOZANI MHLAMBI
- Dr Thokozani Mhlambi is not your usual musician. Not only does he play the cello, sing and compose his own songs, but Mhlambi uses his art and exhibitions to convey African stories/philosophies.
- Born in Madadeni, KwaZulu-Natal, after fulfilling music studies in South Africa & Sweden, Mhlambi received his PhD in Music at the University of Cape Town. In South Africa, he has showcased work at leading platforms such as the Linder Auditorium, National Arts Festival, Baxter Theatre and Soweto Theatre—where he drew audiences from all walks of life. He has also been a visiting lecturer at universities in Finland (Jyvaskyla), and Brazil, to mention a few. And has had opportunities to perform and speak in places such as Chicago, Minneapolis, New Orleans (Tulane), São Paulo, Maputo (Mozambique) and New York.
- Recently, Mhlambi’s rendition of Lizalise Idinga Lakho by Tiyo Soga (from his debut album Zulu Song Cycle), was featured in an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Mhlambi was an invited contributor to the roaming academy of the Dutch Art Institute, an itinerant program fostering various creative practices at the intersection of art & theory. In 2019, he collaborated with revered Chinese visual artist Dachan, in a live performance/installation at the Zeitz Mocaa Museum in Cape Town.
- In 2020, Mhlambi was selected as an Artist-in-Residence at Cite International Des Arts in Paris, supported by the Institut Français. He used the time to connect with artists from different parts of the world, specifically the African continent, and to develop new creative work.
- Currently Mhlambi is working on building a digital repository of early African composers such as Enoch Sontonga, John & Nokutela Dube, Reuben Caluza, to mention a few. This is a project which is a collaboration between the Killie Campbell Africana Library (at UKZN), the Five Hundred Year Archive Project (at UCT) and Afropolitan Explosiv.
