Legendary guitarist performs

THE Centre for Jazz and Popular Music presents the first Twosday gig of 2020 with the legendary Madala Kunene on Tuesday, 18 February at 6pm.

Madala Kunene was born in 1951 in Cato Manor and later moved to KwaMashu Township after his family was evicted by the Apartheid government. Despite being born into a family of eminent academics he hardly spent time in school signalling his uniquely unconventional nature and his single-mindedness. At the age of seven, he made his first guitar out of tins to entertain people on the Durban beachfront leading to his popularity in the townships.

Kunene was discovered by Sipho Gumede and moved to Johannesburg where he worked with ‘Songamasu’ Band which shared stages with the likes of Doc Mthalane, Shawn Philips, Mankunku Ngozi and Busi Mhlongo. He returned home in the mid-1970s, and honed and developed his craft while playing low-key gigs in and around the townships. He later introduced the “Madala Line”, a style of guitar which fused blues, soul with Zulu folklore despite pressures to play western styles. Madala’s international recording career took off in 1994 and he has performed on several international stages in Europe, Asia and America.

In this performance, Kunene will be joined by Njabulo Shabala on percussion and Sthembiso Ntuli on saxophone.

The Centre for Jazz and Popular music is at Level 2, Shepstone Building at UKZN Howard College Campus. Doors open at 5.30pm. Cost is R90 for general admission, R60 for pensioners and R30 for students. Contact Thuli on 031 260 3385 or email: Zamat1@ukzn.ac.za.

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