Culture connects the dots

The concert, which was conceptualised by Mabutho Sithole, featured a range of local talent and diverse cultures, leaving the audience captivated and inspired.

In attendance were dignitaries, such as the former Premier of Gauteng, Dr Mathole Motshekga, who briefly addressed the audience on the importance of culture and the knowledge of individual clan names, as a part of cultural consciousness.

“Our names are what identify us as royal children of Africa,” he said.

The programme for the afternoon, which ran until the evening, ranged from comedy, poetry and music, to motivational speaking.

The “Four-Fourty” Jazz Band opened the show with their soulful compilation, which left the audience serenaded and thirsty for more.

They were also the closing act for the evening.

The audience also got to be entertained by the hilarious and very witty comedians, Sista H and Alex Kunene, whose jokes ranged from all things political, to the cultural differences in our country.

The audience was able to resonate, but also to be educated about social challenges surrounding our political climate and diverse cultural landscape.

Springs’s very own Dane McMahon was also a performer for the evening, and entertained the audience with music from her latest album, ”Lewe vir my”, which she released in December.

“I have been singing from the age of seven, and singing professionally for four years,” she said, when asked about her musical background.

One of the most memorable acts for the evening was the motivational talk by speaker Dr David Molapo, who is originally from KwaThema.

He shared an inspirational message about the power of purpose; overcoming detours on our journey to purpose; and identifying the things that limit our purpose.

“Life is a book of many chapters,” he said, “and whatever chapter you may find yourself on, does not take your life”.

Molapo’s message inspired hope in the hearts of many, as his address heard exclamations of affirmation and hope from the audience.

“If you walk away from this message without learning anything, then I don’t know,’ said one of the members of the audience, Banele Masilela (42).

The ‘Cultural Connection Concert’ was birthed by Mabutho Sithole, who explained that he found his inspiration for it from the multitude of social, economic, and political challenges of our country.

“Given the plethora of challenges evident in South Africa, I was inspired and prompted to find a way of communicating a message about them,

in a way that will be relatable to all,” he said, “and art does that”.

Sithole, who is passionate about using art to drive societal change, also discussed that a large part of the concert was to try to eradicate the identity crisis that he feels young people are suffering from.

“We have distanced ourselves from ourselves,” he said, “and it is time to go back to our roots.”

He attributes a lot of the crisis in individual identity to the fact that our stories, as South Africans, are not being written by us for us, and we have lost sight of core values that make us who we are.

“Things like respect, dignity, and honouring your elders, are lost to this generation,” he reflected.

Part of the aim of his concert is to re-ignite cultural consciousness and cultural identity- including having pride in our history.

Mabutho felt that social issues such as xenophobia and tribalism are a result of the identity crisis to which he refers.

“We, as Africans, are a collective people, not an individualist people,” he emphasised, as he spoke about the importance of unifying as people and as a country.

He believes that, although we must acknowledge that we are all diverse in culture and ethnicity, it is important to be conscious of the fact that, in the greater scheme of the human race, we are all equal.

“We are different, yes, but by humanity, we are all the same,” he said passionately.

Sithole salutes the visionary leadership of the mayor, Clr Mondli Gungubele, and his office for partnering with him on this project, and helping him to pioneer, what he calls ”art that can restore and heal our people”.

“I must give my sincerest gratitude to the mayor and his office for assisting me to make this vision a reality,” he said.