Writer: Culture Desk | Photographs: Supplied
Thandiswa “King Tha” Mazwai celebrates a year since the release of her album Sankofa with a special presentation of the music at the Lyric Theatre on 29 June at 19:00.
Playing with a jazz quartet, “King Tha” will be presenting music from her albums Belede and Sankofa on Sunday the 29th of June at The Lyric Theatre at Johannesburg’s Gold Reef City. She will draw together stories, memories and dreams from her encounters with mentors like Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela, as well as from her travels across the African continent.
Tickets are available at Webtickets: Thandiswa Live (Belede X Sankofa) https://bit.ly/401hpNv
Thandiswa says:
“I am so excited to be sharing these two works at the Lyric Theatre on the 29th of June. It is a special treat for our fans who always ask to see this music live. Belede is of course a very special album for me, and we are also celebrating a year since the release of Sankofa.”
Belede and Sankofa have a strong jazz influence, and this show will feature a special line-up of musicians to honour the people who shaped and inspired the music.
“The show will be meditative, with a strong focus on the music from Belede and Sankofa,” she adds.
Thandiswa Live (Belede X Sankofa)
📅 29 June 2025
🕖 7PM
🎟️ Tickets: R400 – R1000
🎫 Book at Webtickets
About Sankofa
Sankofa is Mazwai’s fourth studio album, released in May 2024.
‘Sankofa’ is a Ghanaian Twi word that means to go back and fetch what has been left behind. The making of this record embodied that idea. Recorded in Johannesburg, Dakar, and New York, the album combines archival Xhosa samples (sourced from the International Library of African Music at Rhodes University), jazz, and West African music.
The album includes songs produced by Meshell Ndegeocello, Chris Bruce, Nduduzo Makhathini, Tendai Shoko, and “King Tha” herself. It features a collaboration with Thandi Ntuli and Nduduzo Makhathini.
“The making of Sankofa was a sonic odyssey that took me from the villages of the Eastern Cape to Dakar and New York, connecting threads that culminated in something truly special,” says Mazwai.
“Within those ancient rhythms and polyrhythms, a common lexicon revealed itself to me, and I am excited to share this music with those who have been growing and evolving with me. Listen out for uhadi, umrhubhe, ngoni, kora and drums in the music. It’s about a celebration of the pan-African spirit, healing old wounds, and returning to what honours us.”
About Belede
Her third solo studio album, Belede (2016), is a collection of reinterpretations of South African jazz and protest anthems from the 1950s and 1960s. Thandiswa’s selection is inspired by the music she grew up with, and her reframing of these classics serves as commentary on South Africa’s present-day political landscape.
She reimagines South African jazz standards originally sung by Letta Mbulu, Busi Mhlongo, Miriam Makeba, Dorothy Masuku, Hugh Masekela, and Caiphus Semenya, with Nduduzo Makhathini on piano, Herbie Tsoaeli on bass, and Ayanda Sikade on drums. The album won the AFRIMA Award for Best Female Artist in Southern Africa in 2017.
About Thandiswa Mazwai
Thandiswa Mazwai has long been one of the most influential musicians on the South African music scene. She began her career in 1995 with Bongo Maffin, one of the pioneering bands of the Kwaito era. After six award-winning albums with Bongo Maffin, she ventured into a solo career.
Her debut solo project Zabalaza (2004) reached double platinum status and won numerous awards, including a Kora Award for Best African Female and four South African Music Awards. Her subsequent albums, Ibokwe (2009) and Belede (2016), reached gold status within weeks of release.
Thandiswa has performed across the world at venues such as the FIFA 2010 World Cup Opening Ceremony, the Apollo Theatre, Radio City Music Hall, the Cannes Film Festival, Africa Express, the BBC World Music Awards, TED, Afropunk, the Carnegie Hall Citywide Festival, and Lincoln Center. She has shared stages with icons including Salif Keita, Hugh Masekela, Busi Mhlongo, Stevie Wonder, Cesária Évora, Paul Simon, and more.
Follow Thandiswa
Twitter: @thandiswamazwai
Instagram: @thandiswamazwai
Facebook: thandiswamazwaiofficial
Tickets: Thandiswa Live (Belede X Sankofa)
Show Hashtags: #KingThaLive #thandiswamazwai #beledexsankofa
