Dr. Thokozani Mhlambi
Angel Bat Dawid
8:30 PM : Angel Bat Dawid
Angel Bat Dawid - vocals, keyboard, clarinet
9:30 PM : Dr. Thokozani Mhlambi
Dr. Thokozani Mhlambi - vocals, cello.
Dr. Thokozani Mhlambi presents his Chicago Debut at Elastic! Dr. Mhlamb9 is known for incorporating art with music, having held an artistic residency at the prestigious Cite International des Arts in Paris France, and having his music used as a soundtrack for an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In this intimate concert, Mhlambi presents a set of Zulu songs, performed on cello and voice.
His music fuses elements of the old and the new through the use of vocal melodies reminiscent of amahubo together with electronic music, experimental soundscapes and western classical music elements.
The concert is also a pause for reflection: on the great archive of early African intellectuals who composed music for ensembles, choirs and the wider public at-large. Most of whom were schooled in places like Ohlange, Marianhill, Adams College in KwaZulu-Natal-Natal, and others in the Eastern Cape.
In 2021, Mhlambi contributed a sound piece called #39 Playing with Tape as part of a group exhibition “Here History Began. Tracing the REverberations of Halim El-dabh,” which took place at the Savvy Contemporary in Berlin. The piece was composed from a soundscape of the Durban beachfront.
Mhlambi presents a multi-disciplinary program, combining aspects of storytelling, opera voice, jazz rhythms, accompanying himself on the baroque cello and soul-drenching Zulu song.
The concert comes after an intensive research trip Mhlambi has been conducting over the past few months, both in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Mhlambi has been visiting museums and archives across the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal-Natal. He has been researching the genius of early African intellectuals who composed music. The likes of Reuben Caluza, BP Tyamzashe, and Enoch Sontonga (composer of Nkosi Sikelela), to mention a few.
The music to be rendered includes: ‘Plea for Africa’ by John Knox Bokwe, ‘Lizalise idinga Lakho’ by Tiyo Soga.
“Obviously, during the pandemic, most artists had more time for themselves than for their audiences. This gave me a chance to go deeper in my art. I hope audiences relate to my new sound. It's not so different, but the post-pandemic atmosphere gives the music a fresh breath,” said Mhlambi.
Some of Mhlambi’s new works will be showcased. Such as Inkenqe, which was created as part of the Five Hundred Year Digital archive project at UCT. The project commissioned the work from Mhlambi to go together with its podcast on William Gqoba (Xhosa literary intellectual), and Gqoba’s views on the Nonqawuse cattle-killing of the 19th century.