JSB SESSION HE AFRICAN JAZZ PIONEERS & THE MAHOTELLA QUEENS LIVE AT THE MARKET THEATRE

GUEST:  MAMA HILDA TLOUBATLA - Member of the Mahotella Queens

JSB SESSION HE AFRICAN JAZZ PIONEERS & THE MAHOTELLA QUEENS LIVE AT THE MARKET THEATRE

Two of South Africa’s most enduring and well-loved groups have teamed up for a new album which will be launched with a series of concerts. The album will be launched 5 May 2023.

 

 

 

Their new album Hello Hello “A Forty Year Anniversary”, will be released 5 May on all digital platforms. Incredible as it may seem, the album brings together these two iconic South African groups for the very first time. The album, produced by Dan Chiorboli and two-time Grammy Award winner John Lindemann, includes a mix of reworked old favorites and new songs recorded in a contemporary style which preserves the groups’ traditional identities and retains the soul and emotion of both groups’ originality.

 

The album will be followed up by three live concerts at The Market Theatre, a venue that has been

closely associated with both groups during their long and illustrious careers.

The Market Theatre concerts take place in May (Friday 5 & Saturday 6 at 7.30 pm and Sunday 7 at 3pm). Tickets are R150 pp to make block bookings and discounts please contact Anthony Ezeoke

011 832 1641ext 203/ 083 246 4950.

Background

The African Jazz Pioneers celebrate their 40 th Anniversary as a group in 2023 and have provided

the musical tapestry for the South African liberation movement over the last forty years. The late Ntemi Piliso, leader and founding member, nourished the group from their humble roots to

their current international acclaim. In the early 1950s, Ntemi and his “Alexandra All-Star Band” were at the cutting edge of South Africa’s proud music scene, blending American urban big band  style with traditional Majuba and Marabi music influences. It seems incredible that the background

to the African Jazz Pioneers stretches way back to the fifties when jazz was in fashion and big bands were the name of the game – and Sophiatown and Dorkay House were well-known melting pots of colour and culture.

After the easing of the cultural boycott in 1990, the African Jazz Pioneers were among the first to travel abroad, headlining jazz venues, festivals and concerts in Europe, Australia, Japan and Africa. They shared the stage with artists like global stars such as Youssou N'Dour, Quincy Jones,

Manhattan Transfer, The Neville Brothers, Chick Corea, Gilberto Gil, Salif Keita, Nina Simone and Rita and Ziggy Marley.

Led by Mpho Sithole, the current Pioneers line-up includes some of the original veterans together with a rhythm section of fresh young talents who are learning from the masters but incorporating

their own influences into the Pioneers’ unique sound.

It is true to say that the group has reached everybody in South Africa, from hipsters to liberation movements. The original Mahotella Queens were formed in 1964 and are noted by their distinct vocal harmony sound, guitar-led mbaqanga music, and fast stage dancing.

Hilda Tloubatla of the Mahotella Queens Biography

 

Hilda was born in 1942 in Payneville, Springs. Her family were forced to move to Kwa-Thema Township as a result of the Group Areas Act, where she continues to live today.

By 1964, Hilda had become a well-known name having paid her dues as a singer in the church choir and as a performer in and around Johannesburg. She was soon scouted and recruited into the Mahotella Queens, becoming the lead of the group, and a renowned name in Mbaqanga music signed to Gallo Record Company. In 1968 she married and had three daughters. In 1984 along with Mahlathini and the maestro producer West Nkosi, Mahlathini and the

Mahotella Queens went on to capture the international world. Sadly when Simon Nkabinde (Mahlathini) and West Nkosi passed on, the Mahotella Queens went into mourning but Hilda was determined to fight to keep the sound of Mbaqanga alive and the three Mahotella Queens, led by Hilda, formed a new band and began touring much to the delight of fans around the world. As part of their journey, they began to pass their skills onto the younger generation and when the time came for two of the original members, Mildred Ngxola and

Nobesuthu Mbada, to retire, Amanda Nkosi and Nonku Maseko joined as the two new Queens.

I would like to use a quote that I recently read on the South African Government page in honour of Mam Hilda Tloubatla receiving the Order of Ikhamanga in Bronze (for outstanding contributions in traditional music) :

Hilda Tloubatla’s life has been one of light and shadow, with outstanding personal triumphs darkened by period of personal sadness and bitterness. But through it all runs the golden thread of her voice and her great musical talent that have truly blessed thelives of those around her.