Kings of Mbaqanga fans are in for a treat

The Soul Brothers – the Kings of Mbaqanga – are bringing their soulful music with its distinct dance routines and sweet melodies to the Vosloorus Civic Centre.

This one-night-only show is part of Soul Brothers: The Revival Tour, sponsored by the Department of Arts and Culture.

The tour is part of the legendary musicians’ 44th anniversary celebrations, during which they will acknowledge the millions of their fans around the country as well as departed members of the group.

The tour began in Tembisa in August and the Soul Brothers have already performed in more than a dozen towns and cities, reconnecting with old and new fans.

The first leg of the tour included Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, North West and Gauteng, and they have played in Pietermaritzburg, Ermelo, Estcourt, Kagiso and Empangeni.

As part of their countrywide tour, the Mbaqanga Kings will be promoting their latest album, titled Uphelile Umdeni Wam.

The co-founder of the group, Moses Ngwenya, says the album marks a new and important chapter in the life of the Soul Brothers.

“The infusion of new blood and experience brings an added dynamism to our sound and our approach to live performances,” he says.

Ngwenya says their latest album was one of the most difficult albums the Soul Brothers had ever put to bed.

“For so many reasons – emotionally, logistically and in terms of the testing of the creative ideas, I felt abandoned and in remembrance of all my musical brothers who I started with more than four decades ago.

“It is for this reason that we decided to take a commemorative approach to the making of the album and pay homage to the brothers who have left us behind. We decided that we should also include the millions of our fans scattered around the country by organising a countrywide tour,” says Ngwenya, the sole surviving member of the original Soul Brothers.

For the die-hard Soul Brothers fans, the story of this multi-award-winning band is now available in a biographical book, titled Soul Brothers: The Life and Times.

“We are excited to have come this far and not allowing our life story to die. Through this book future generations will forever know about the work, music and key players who were instrumental in building the name of the Soul Brothers.

“The book project is also part of this tour because all this marks a milestone in the life of the band, and we hope that the book project will connect our story and music to a new generation of audiences and fans,” says Ngwenya.

As part of the band’s efforts to reconnect with their spiritual fan base and family, Ngwenya says they’re talking to partners in an effort to stage a tribute show for the fallen heroes of the South Brothers.

“It’s very early days, but what’s important is that we are trying to set up a fund that will help the families of our departed brothers in the smallest of ways. A tribute show would be the beginning, and if we get great partners we could do bigger things.

“If we get good partners, our wish is that through these series of tribute shows we could raise enough funds every year to take at least one family member each from the families into a bursary scheme that would help them acquire tertiary education,” says Ngwenya, the keyboard wizard.