After a long hiatus from performing concerts due to an unforeseen medical condition, Dr Madala Kunene returns to the stage with a special concert in his hometown of Durban. In association with The Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, Madala will be coming back to the public eye with award winning virtuoso and fellow KZN'er, Guy Buttery. Together as a duo, they have unearthed new musical landscapes taking cyclical Zulu guitar patterns to the East and back again in a psychedelic layering of textures, deeply rooted in their home of KwaZulu-Natal. Dr Kunene is recovering from recent surgery, and the proceeds of this concert will go towards his medical expenses. Please consider supporting this event and find tickets here.
Commonly referred to as the “King of the Zulu Guitar”, Madala Kunene was recently awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree by the University of KwaZulu-Natal for his ongoing contribution to the development of indigenous music and to the music of Africa and that of the world. This will be Madala’s first tour with his new title of Doctor Madala Kunene. Madala is a genre unto himself. Born in 1947 in Mkhumbane (Cato Manor), a vibrant mixed community just outside of inner Durban, Kunene reflects his environment and his music acts as an urban war cry. His music is a portrait of an artist as a not-so-young man of faith, a sonic investigation that tries to make sense of the gradual process of sanitizing history—how the real past is purged for the sake of a historical sound bite. Kunene is an artist who is constantly shifting between musical habitats.
“Guy Buttery is something of a National treasure”, says South Africa’s leading newspaper. As an internationally recognised musician, this multi-instrumentalist enjoys invitations to play sell-out performances all over the globe. The USA, UK, Australia, France, Brazil, India and Italy have all welcomed him back year after year. However, to simply label Guy Buttery as one of South Africa’s musical phenoms would be an injustice. His international role has surpassed merely performing concerts to foreign audiences. It has evolved into one as an ambassador of South African music, inspiring people across the world with his home-grown style at the very heart of his talent and tenacity. Guy’s distinct unification of South African guitar music is the musical advocate for everything positive and beautiful about the place he calls home. Guy received the highest accolade for a musician in South Africa and was awarded the Standard Bank Young Artist Award. In almost 4 decades of honouring artists throughout the country, this was the first time since its inception that the award was presented to a musician outside of the classical realm.
Expect high dynamics, deep grooves, delicate African inflections and mind-bending string playing of an entirely new order from two of South Africa's most renowned artists.
CONCERT DETAILS:
Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, UKZN Howard College Campus
Berea, Durban, KZN
Thursday, 1 Aug 2024
19:00
R200
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Photo credit: Jess Sterk
