National Arts Festival names Xhosa musician Madosini as featured artist

The National Arts Festival annually pays tribute to an artist who has made a significant mark on the country’s arts landscape and this year the recipient of the festival’s featured artist is indigenous musician Madosini Latozi Mpahleni, best known simply as Madosini.

National Arts Festival artistic director Rucera Seethal is excited about this year’s featured artist.

“Madosini is a national treasure. She has kept alive the tradition of Xhosa music rooted in oral tradition, in particular the distinctive sound of the uhadi (music bow), umrhumbe (mouth bow) and isitolotolo (Jew’s harp).

A musician, composer and storyteller, she also makes instruments, has performed and collaborated widely and continues to teach the body of knowledge she has carried over her lifetime.

“We are proud to feature her sonic and cultural legacy at this year’s National Arts Festival,” says Seethal.

Madosini was born in 1943 in the Eastern Cape and often jokes during her performances that she grew up without formal schooling. She maintains Xhosa as her spoken language, though in many ways she has superseded translation through her musical language.

Madosini has performed internationally for many years including at Womad festivals where she was also documented in the Musical Elders project.

Over the years she has performed with renowned artists like Ringo Madlingozi, Thandiswa Mazwai, Derek Gripper, Hilton Schilder, Gilberto Gil and many more.

The support she received from South Africans across the country during a trip to France in 2019 to facilitate her safe return home after health issues, was testament to the place she occupies in our national identity and heritage.

“Being told that I’m coming to the festival has made me happy, like a calf feeding from its mother. If I had my way, I would wake up tomorrow and go to eRhini (Makhanda).

“I can’t wait to teach you umrhube and about the lived experiences of our cultural practices that you don’t practise anymore.

“During my youth we did not use sour milk for umphokoqo (African salad) we used amavilo – you probably don’t know what they are, I will tell you about it when I see you in eRhini,” says Madosini.