Jazz legends to wow locals at legacy tour

The first ever ‘Women in Song’ legacy tour will see a fantastic assemblage of major women of the stage, in a massive première of a festival that pays homage to female virtuosos celebrating the music and spirit of great women of jazz and African music.

The festival to be launched in celebration of the iconic Dorothy Masuku and Abigail Khubeka is a one-night only affair dubbed the ‘Women in Song’ and will take place at the Emnotweni Arena on Saturday and will also see a culmination of the 18th anniversary of Ladies in Jazz ensemble, one of the first and few all female bands in South Africa.

Ekhaya Creatives, producer of the concert tour under the championship of Anikki Maswanganye, has put together a formidable array of artists to pay tribute to the two living legends.

Maswanganye, an entrepreneur and founding member of Ladies in Jazz is the driving force behind the production.

“This festival is more about retaining and celebrating the heritage of our music, where we see the need to celebrate our legends, especially female musicians while they are still alive.

We strongly believe that in doing this, our tradition and ways of song will be passed onto the youngsters in order to help them understand the roots of our music and also keep the music industry alive.

This is to say that as women for women, we need to embrace one another, create jobs for one another and appreciate each other,” says Maswanganye, director of the festival.

The featured ladies on the tour are adept instrumentalists, in addition to all being accomplished singers.

“What make this concert tour exceptional is that it brings together different generations of women ranging from ages 80 down to 28.

We see this as making a historical event and as a note to the music industry, that as women, ours is to celebrate and uplift each other,” Maswanganye concludes.

Performing artists on this tour include:

Dorothy Masuku, an international icon, role model, artist, mother, composer and singer who composed many of Miriam Makeba’s well-known songs. Masuku rose to fame in the 50s; her voice evoking global applause and has seen her compositions catapult many South African artists to fame.

The history of the contribution of black women musicians would be incomplete without the story of Masuku.

Accompanying Masuku will be fellow veteran stage and TV actress and singer Abigail Khubeka, who was discovered and mentored by ‘Mama Africa’ and in her own right has gone on to enjoy an outstanding international career.

Lerato Mothapo, a singer who possesses an instrument personified, timbre unmatched and a soul that calls the most internal emotions and blessed with a presence that is never mistaken nor forgotten will raise high the torch inherited from firebrand singers like Makeba and Masuku and will be joined by rising star Solace Can who will perform a new arrangement of the Masuku penned Pata Pata which was made popular by Miriam Makeba who loudly proclaimed her support for the civil rights cause and fight against apartheid.

Ticket prices range between R150 to R350 and are available at Computicket.