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Thursday, February 13, 2014

STABLE THEATRE MASKANDI FESTIVAL



(Sbusio Mkhize, leader of Bahube)

An exciting Maskandi music extravaganza will be held at Durban’s Stable Theatre on February 15 from 11h00 to 16h00 in celebration of original South African music and indigenous artists.

“One of the best beloved and most widely practiced of South Africa’s popular musical genres, Maskanda plays a core cultural role in our society, in KwaZulu-Natal particularly”, says Stable Theatre Manager, Thanduxolo Zulu. “With the support of our sponsors, we at Stable Theatre are honoured to have this opportunity of showcasing some of the great wealth of Maskandi artists who live in our region.”

The Maskanda genre is memorably described on Ethekwini Online as "The music played by the man on the move, the modern minstrel, today’s troubadour …. Maskanda has for years been the music of the man walking the long miles to court a bride, or to meet with his Chief; a means of transport. It is the music of the man who sings of his real life experiences, his daily joys and sorrows, his observations of the world. It’s the music of the man who’s got the Zulu blues."

Nowadays, of course, Maskanda has ceased to be the exclusive cultural domain of male performers only. Following the legendary career of the late great Busi Mhlongo particularly, women are also making maskanda music.

Stable Theatre’s Maskandi Festival on February 15 will be spearheaded by popular maskandi groups Osenzeni and Vumile Mngoma. A powerhouse line-up number of other Maskandi groups will also appear on the bill as supporting acts. These include Bahube, Izintombi Zodumo, Amalanda Amhlophe, Izimbali Zempondo, Amagusheshe and Istorm.

Tickets for Stable Theatre’s five-hour Maskandi extravaganza at just R50 can be obtained at Stable Theatre on the day of the festival. For enquiries about this and other projects happening at Stable Theatre, log onto www.stabletheatre.co.za. Alternatively call 031 309 2513, or e-mail stabletheatre@telkomsa.net.

With easy access off the N3 Warwick Triangle flyover, Stable Theatre is situated at 115 Johannes Nkosi Street (formerly Alice Street), and is supported by the KZN Department of Arts and Culture, Ethekwini Municipality, the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, the National Arts Council and the KZN Performing Arts Trust.