The annual Toyota US Woordfees in Stellenbosch brought, again, an array of exciting cultural arts fusing historic and modern stories from rural and urban African and Afrikaans-speaking communities of South Africa. One musical offering was ‘The Classical Calabash’, a collective of musicians who specialize in African traditional, contemporary jazz, and western classical, along with singer-songwriters, with the production supports from the Cape Town Music Academy (CTMA). This musical journey redefines what ‘classical’ means in carrying broader styles of musical expression to mixed audiences. African stories are told through original compositions and songs by seasoned South African musicians using indigenous instruments accompanied with Euro-centric sounds and rhythms from the diaspora.
CTMA marketing manager, Luvuyo Kakaza, explains: “Classical Calabash defuses the myths that certain music concepts are to exist in their ancient superior context. It allows for the maturity and existence of all musical genres to grow within an African soundscape and on a continent once torn by violent colonial wars.”
What the audience heard in the packed Adam Small Theater of Stellenbosch University, a central venue of Woordfees events, was truly a unique African banquet of songs, rhythms, and styles performed by twelve musicians on stage. A string section of guitar, cello, viola and two violins added a Euro-centric flare which merged with several types of African percussion, a double bass with improvisations, and the mbira, uHadi bow, and marimba instruments. Add to this African vocals from the African songbook of such composers as Johnny Clegg, Freshlyground, BLK Sonshine, and marimba specialist, Bongani Sotshononda, and enjoy the feast! https://youtu.be/4zGE66zIO90
Kakaza continues: “When I worked with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra for many years, I was always looking for ways to reach wider audiences with other musical styles joining the more Euro-classical Orchestra.” It seems this current ‘bash’ production has done just that.
The performance highlighted original works by composers and vocalists on stage: Sky Dladla Chizama excelled with her vocals, uHadi bow, and Mbira, instruments which she makes herself.
Singer Tankiso Mamabolo took turns in embellishing the soundscape in harmony with fellow singers. Her impressive resume mentions her message – we must deal with the heady societal issues Black people face, including identity, love and loss. Similarly, vocalist Xhanti Nokwali seeks universal harmony through pan-African liberation and unity. One easily hears his vocals emote moving messages meant to heal and bring resolve. The key arranger of these original pieces for marimba, string quartet, double bass, percussion, African traditional instruments, guitar and voices was guitarist Graeme Lees who effectively whipped up such an awesome taste of South African ‘classics’ so that listeners wanted more.
One hears the marimba duet with violin, a dance of rhythms which suggests a Euro-celtic touch joining with African beats. Then the mbira plucks a rhythm with a violin and sung ballad as in Dladla’s ‘Sikhokhele’ piece, followed by a swing piece, ‘Imveku’, with Nokwali’s vocal messages. Even during the 75 minute concert, stage backdrop visuals added to the theme of African sounds awakening: An animated Karoo landscape, designed by a company, Lucan, takes you on a journey from the end of a sunny day, through the depths of the night, into the dawn of a new day. The jazzy ‘Born in a Taxi’ by BLK Sonshine brought forward the new dawn as depicted in the bird formations flying to their new day home.
Under the able direction of vocalist Vasti Zeeman-Knoesen, this musical bash left listeners with a new hope about the arts – that South Africa’s sonic visions can cut across cultural landscapes and incorporate musical histories that become timeless and forever youthful, fresh, and healing. Herein lies a feast in the South African classics!
