EMandulo kwela Maqaba is a reimagining of ubuQaba through fashion and song.
For this offering, Zintle Ne-ahtyah Mbuyazwe, a singer-songwriter and African jazz performer, is collaborating with renowned self-taught fashion designer and VATOH couture founder Ntsikelelo Ntleki. Within the context of EMandulo kwela Maqaba, the emphasis is on diversity in the arts. Traditional Nguni symbols will be juxtaposed against the sonic iingoma zase Mandulo, merging ancient culture with fashion, Xhosa cultural music in jazz style, and modern forms of expression.
The performance aims to embrace the concept of ubuQaba by recasting the ubuQaba narrative as the preservation of our cultural inheritance, with amaQaba serving as actual guardians of culture. This project will take the form of a performance of iingoma zase Mandulo by revisiting indigenous Xhosa music through Umombelo (traditional Xhosa vocal singing) and African Jazz form, as well as a tracing of apparel by Xhosa indigenous people through an exhibition of designs by Ntsikelelo Ntleki, an attempt to give a rural depiction of identity, rebirth, and reflection.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Zintle Ne-ahtyah Mbuyazwe
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Ne-ahtyah Mbuyazwe is an African jazz music songwriter, vocalist, and performer. Born in Eastern Cape Engcobo in a village called Clarkebury. She studied Bmus at the University of Fort Hare, specialising in Vocal Jazz and Jazz studies. Neahtyah’s musical journey began in East London in 2012, where she was inspired by the city’s art scene and creative geniuses.
In the early stages of her career, she flourished as a lead vocalist for the famed East London band, Highway to Heaven Alive. She recently formed part of Jazz Against Apartheid homecoming tribute for Johnny Dyani as a vocalist of The Eastern Cape sextet which comprised of icons like Sakhile Simani, Sisonke Xonti, Sakhi Nompozolo, Bra Lex Futshane, Chester Summerton and International Musicians from Frankfurt Canada and London. She is also part of the Izanusi zengoma ensemble from Altblk.
As a young curator, arts coordinator and creative she has served as a panellist in a number of artistic workshops most notably the Standard bank arts workshop Siphakathi inside in 2022 alongside luminaries like Nduduzo Makhathini,Simmy and Muneyi.
With her first love being the stage Neahtyah is always inspired to co-create with other artists, a way of spreading the gospel of a life sustaining, healing and communal approach to creativity. Neahtyah is currently working on her debut album ‘Emandulo’ which has been a theme for a series of concerts and dialogues on Ubuntu that she has been curating since 2019.
