Johannesburg - As part of yet another electrifying Bassline Live at The Lyric Theatre series, the award-winning South African afropop band Mafikizolo will perform at the venue on Saturday, August 26.
After receiving the Metro FM Lifetime Achievement Award recently, Africa’s renowned pop duet, comprised of Nhlanhla Mafu and Theo Kgosinkwe, will perform The Mafikizolo iDwala Live Experience for the first time.
The performance comes just as their album, titled iDwala, has reached platinum status.
Mafu and Kgosinkwe both expressed their excitement about playing for their fans later this month because they want to share in the celebrations with them on stage.
“This Live Experience, as with all the Bassline Live at The Lyric Theatre shows, will be a first-of-its-kind experience. In staying with the high-quality, bespoke, collaborative, and theatrical shows recently presented on the series, such as the sold-out shows of Msaki’s Delta Love Experience this past March and the Sun El Musician & Friends experience in 2022, to name a few. The Mafikizolo iDwala Live Experience will not disappoint,” said event organiser and founder Bassline Live Brad Holmes.
“We have not had an intimate live session with our fans and supporters in a very long time, and this makes it super exciting for us.
“Also, we have not had a chance to properly introduce and present the album to our fans, so this performance will give us an opportunity to showcase the album itself. So we want our supporters to come, open-minded and ready, to be serenaded with new songs and sounds from the iDwala album. We will, of course, perform their favourite Mafikizolo classics as we will be taking them through the Mafikizolo journey. We therefore encourage them to come dressed in their favourite Mafikizolo Era as we not only celebrate the album but the milestone as well,” Mafu said.
Kgosinkwe said he too cannot wait to bring the electrifying stage energy Mafikizolo is celebrated for.
“What’s going to be great about the iDwala live experience is that we are going to take the audience through our musical journey. We want the audience to enjoy the music that they grew up listening to, and we want them to enjoy the music, fashion, and dance experience of Mafikizolo. We encourage them to dress up in their Kwela attire to add an element of fashion to this experience. We will also be joined on stage by friends of Mafikizolo to celebrate the Mafikizolo iDwala Live experience.”
The pair indicated that their latest album, recorded alongside a talented group of collaborators, will take fans through the journey of the band from its inception to its current status.
This is reflected in the choices of collaborations, the influences seeping into the sound, and the approach they took.
“We titled this album iDwala because we have stood the test of time. We have been through it all—wins, losses, struggles, fails, successes—through the storm and back, and Mafikizolo is still here,” Kgosinkwe added.
Holmes said the series is excited to have a band of the calibre of Mafikizolo, who have shown their staying power having spent over 25 years in the country's music business.
“Bassline is excited to have Mafikizolo on this platform, as the relationship between us has been a long one.”
It dates right back to 2004, when Mafikizolo were the opening act at the (now closed) Bassline Newtown venue. It is fitting that we host these legends on Bassline Live at The Lyric Theatre Series, as we share the ethos of tenacity and have been in the live music industry for a long time.
“Mafikizolo are 25 years in the making, with Bassline Live having been established in 1994 and weathering the past 28 years in similar ways: by moving with the times and staying relevant with the trends via being inspired by popular culture and our talented youth. Mafikizolo is the soundtrack to our lives; we can’t think of a single South African big occasion, like weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries, that is not backed by a Mafikizolo hit! They represent popular culture then and now. This show is going to be a 2023 highlight and should not be missed. It’s an opportunity to treat oneself and loved ones to come sing, dance, dress for the occasion, and celebrate life, love, and everything in between,” Holmes said.
The Star