The Lisner Auditorium will welcome two of South Africa’s musical icons and freedom fighters on Feb. 22, as Hugh Masekela and Vusi Mahlaselafeature join forces to honor 20 years since Apartheid ended in their country through music.
“We’ll be playing a lot of songs that Hugh and I feel were important to the struggle,” Mr. Mahlasela says. “Music plays quite an important role for us during Apartheid and during the healing, which is ongoing.”
The two singers have lifelong connections to the late Nelson Mandela and their South Africa’s Freedom Songs concert pay tribute to his work and all that people who fought for democracy endured.
The way the concert works, both musicians will be on stage together with a collaborative 5-piece all-star band. While the two have been like-minded musical comrades in South Africa for decades—even sharing the stage on special occasions—this tour is the first that finds them playing together.”
“This is our first time touring like this and we’ve never done it back home in South Africa so we feel like it’s a special night of music,” he says. “What makes this special is the connection we form with the audience, which is what is so special about live music.”
Nicknamed “The Voice” in his home country, Mr. Mahlasela has a distinct, powerful voice and his songs offer poetic, optimistic lyrics. He was raised in Mamelodi Township and was self-taught on the guitar.
“A lot of people call me a folk singer but honestly, I play so many styles of music, I’m not sure how we landed on that description,” Mr. Mahlasela says. “At an early age, my grandmother operated a Shebeen behind our home (it’s similar to a speakeasy) and there were always musicians there playing music and I picked it up. We always listened to a lot of records from America that we could get our hands on—a lot of Motown and R&B, so I’m not sure what my style is, but it’s definitely a big mixture of influences.”
Mr. Mahlasela says he loves music, loves to dance and loves sharing his songs with an audience.
“It was just a natural progression,” he says. “I started playing the guitar at a young age at my grandmother’s Shebeen using a guitar made out of a cooking oil can and fish line. During the struggle, I started writing poetry and then that naturally merged with singing and playing guitar.”
After his popular debut on BMG Africa, “When You Come Back,” he was asked to perform at Nelson Mandela’s inauguration in 1994. Overall, he has released seven studio albums, with his latest, “Sing to the People,” a celebratory live recording looking back on 20 years in the business.
Mr. Masekela is a world-renowned flugelhornist, trumpeter, bandleader, composer, singer and defiant political voice who remains deeply connected at home, while his international career sparkles. He rose to prominence with “Grazin’ in the Grass,” a 1968 insturmental tune that reached No. 1 on the American charts. He has worked with a diverse group of musicians including Harry Belafonte, Dizzy Gillespie, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder.
“I’ve always looked up to Hugh and he’s always been a big supporter of mine, so we have a good dynamic both on and off the stage,” Mr. Mahlasela says. “We have a lot of fun together and the band we have formed for this project has really gelled well, it’s very tight.”
The concert will include many of their greatest songs from their respective catalogs. Both singers offer songs of hope that connected Apartheid-scarred South Africa with its promise for a better future. Audiences will get a lot out of this music, Mr. Mahlasela says, and it’s important because it was and still is an important part of South African culture.
“We want to share it with the world and give everyone a piece of who we are,” he says. “People should take part in the world around them.”
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