Showstoppers — SA culture takes the stage as musical gods descend on Makhanda
The National Arts Festival (NAF) is under way in Makhanda until 6 July and, as usual, the musical offering is the talk of the Eastern Cape town.
With performances from the likes of The Soil, the South African National Jazz Orchestra and Eastern Cape native Dumza Maswana, to name a few, the musical gods are descending on the little town that has become a mecca of South African artistic culture.
The curated programme includes Muneyi, who won the 2025 Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year Award for Music. He is sure to steal the show with two productions: The Beginning and Sip and Cry.
The former is a three-part sonic and visual journey. It weaves together work from Muneyi's debut album, Makhulu, which is an ode to his grandmother, with unreleased pieces from upcoming projects. Sip and Cry is described as the artist presenting a 'soft space to feel deeply and drink slowly'.
Attendees will also be clamouring to see The Soil when the popular trio grace the Guy Butler Theatre stage. The show promises to be a heartfelt celebration of their 18-year journey, filled with music, nostalgia and a renewed vision for the future. Unlike the a cappella performances they have been known for, the group will be joined by a live band.
From early classics to the fresh sounds from their award-winning album Reimagined, this performance will blend the old and the new in a way that only The Soil can.
The work of Bongani Ndodana-Breen will be sure to draw attention in Credo. Written with librettist Brent Meersman, Credo is a multimedia oratorio that is a testament to the Freedom Charter, which turns 70 this year. With the Eastern Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kwantu choir, soloists and a multimedia component, this is a not-to-be-missed experience for all ages.
Lovers of jazz will not be disappointed as Maswana, a jazz musician, singer and songwriter, presents The Umngqungqo Orchestral Experience.
In a captivating blend of indigenous music and jazz with a 20-piece orchestra, conducted by Sakhile Simani and directed by Mthokozisi Mabuza, Maswana will perform a carefully curated selection of songs from his albums, as well as new music. He is known for his deep baritone voice and fusion of traditional African rhythms, spirituality and jazz, and attendees are encouraged to come 'dressed to impress' for a stylish celebration of heritage and culture.
The South African National Jazz Orchestra was established in 2024 as a joint initiative of the Mandela Bay Theatre Complex in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. The orchestra's NAF debut pays homage to Eastern Cape jazz classics of soul jazzmen and Matshikiza brothers Todd and Pat in its first segment, before closing with a tribute to the late Stompie Mavi.
The Matshikiza brothers were prominent musicians who hailed from Queenstown in the province, and Mavi was born in Ngqamakhwe, a village about 130km from Queenstown. He died in Gqeberha and was buried in KwaZakhele.
They were all jazz and pop stalwarts of their time, and their contribution to township jazz from the 1960s all the way to the 2000s is an important feature of the heritage of the genre and its unique identity. This show is a unique opportunity to learn and listen to what they imprinted on South African culture.
Notable returnees are The Wits Trio – pianist Malcolm Nay, violinist Zanta Hofmeyr and cellist Susan Mouton – who are performing their work War and Peace.
They will be playing Beethoven's 'Archduke Trio', Piano Trio Op. 97, and Shostakovich's Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67, so lovers of classical music are in for a treat.
The music continues to be a highlight at the NAF, with original and bespoke pieces always drawing much attention. This year will be no different and it will undoubtedly remind attendees why the festival is still going strong 51 years later. DM
This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.
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