Latest news with #LeboMashile
The Herald
03-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald
Rhythm & words: Tutu Puoane returns home with poetic jazz tour
Internationally acclaimed jazz vocalist Tutu Puoane is back on home soil and bringing a soul-stirring blend of poetry and jazz to local stages. The Antwerp, Belgium-based vocalist kicks off her South African tour with live performances inspired by Lebo Mashile's poetry. The Wrapped In Rhythm Tour kicked off on Friday at Johannesburg's Market Theatre, marking the start of a cross-country journey that promises an unforgettable fusion of rhythm, voice and lyrical storytelling. The tour celebrates Puoane's latest double album project, Wrapped In Rhythm , inspired by Mashile's celebrated poetry collection In A Ribbon Of Rhythm . The first volume, released in March 2024, has already earned three South African jazz awards, cementing Puoane's place as one of the continent's most compelling musical voices. Puoane's return comes with a curated selection of performances ranging from full-band shows in major cities to intimate duos with long-time collaborator and pianist Ewout Pierreux. Each performance promises a unique encounter with music and poetry interwoven in real-time. Her next performance is on Saturday at the State Theatre in Pretoria. The rest of the the SA tour dates for Wrapped In Rhythm: August 6 — UKZN Jazz Centre, Durban (duo with Ewout Pierreux); (duo with Ewout Pierreux); August 8 — Youngblood Gallery, Cape Town (duo); August 10 — Guga S'thebe, Cape Town (duo); and August 15 — The One Room, Gqeberha (duo). Wrapped In Rhythm isn't just an album; it's a heartfelt dialogue between two powerful Black women artists across time and medium. Puoane breathes melodic life into Mashile's words, tackling themes of identity, womanhood and freedom through a sonic lens. 'The poetry is already so alive on the page. I just wanted to amplify what was already there to give it another dimension,' she shared in a recent interview. Volume 2 of Wrapped In Rhythm , a lush orchestral version recorded with the world-renowned Metropole Orkest, is due for release on September 19.
The Star
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Tutu Puoane returns home to celebrate Lebo Mashile's poetry through jazz
Renowned jazz vocalist and Pretoria native Tutu Puoane is set to grace stages across South Africa with her much-anticipated tour, showcasing her current project, Wrapped In Rhythm . Puoane reveals that this award-winning double album is a heartfelt homage to the evocative poetry of South African poet and activist Lebo Mashile, featuring a unique blend of jazz, soul, and singer-songwriting that resonates with audiences both locally and internationally. Since relocating to Antwerp, Belgium, in 2005, Puoane explains that she has found herself profoundly inspired by Mashile's anthology, In A Ribbon Of Rhythm . For nearly a decade, the book accompanied her, stirring emotions that encapsulated her experiences as a young Black African woman navigating her identity amidst the complexities of living away from her homeland. 'Ten years ago, this book had me in a chokehold. I often find things about my country so difficult to express; it all feels so strange after being gone from home for so long, and yet I still hold a very deep connection to the land and people. The poems of Lebo helped me feel and express things I couldn't express myself.' This tour will also see Puoane performing two larger concerts in Gauteng with her full band, featuring Ewout Pierreux on piano, Shane Cooper on bass, and Sphelelo Mazibuko on drums. Following these performances, she will partner with Pierreux for intimate duo concerts in Durban, Cape Town, and Gqeberha, aiming to draw audiences close to the essence of her music and Mashile's powerful words. The full orchestral Volume 2 of Wrapped In Rhythm featuring the renowned Metropole Orkest is scheduled for global release on September 19, but concertgoers will have the distinct advantage of purchasing limited physical copies of the album on CD and vinyl at the shows. Puoane invites her audiences to experience the concert not just as a performance, but as a shared moment of connection and reflection. 'For this upcoming SA tour, I really want people to come, sit down, turn their cell phones on silent, and really drink in these words and this music. I will, of course, play some of their old-time favourites, but this is a chance for my South African audience to experience/remember the magic of Lebo Mashile's powerful 'In A Ribbon Of Rhythm.' Her excitement to return to South Africa is palpable as she expresses her love for performing in front of those who understand her cultural nuances. 'The South African audience, MY audience, is by far the best audience in the world. There's nothing like singing Sepedi to people that truly comprehend every word you're saying. It uplifts a part of my soul I don't get to feel often when I perform for an EU audience. I really would love to come home often to sing, not only once a month at a huge festival. I love singing in smaller intimate gatherings as well, so I'm really hoping that people will come out and support these few dates I have lined up.' Lebo Mashile further echoes the sentiments of their connection, recalling how Tutu's interpretation of her poetry felt like the merging of timelines during the isolation of the pandemic.' 'When Tutu started sharing her experiments online during the pandemic, and when I first heard what she and Ewout were doing in their home studio, it felt like multiple timelines were collapsing and converging at once. Across continents, in the isolation of lockdown, on social media, I felt intimately connected to Tutu's imagination of these poems and seen and affirmed in a way that no artist has ever made me feel before.' Puoane's South African tour dates are set to be Aug 1 - Market Theatre, Johannesburg; Aug 2 - State Theatre, Pretoria; Aug 6 - UKZN Jazz Centre, Durban; Aug 8 - Youngblood Gallery, Cape Town; Aug 10 - Guga S'thebe, Cape Town; and Aug 15 - The One Room, Gqeberha. [email protected] Saturday Star
