As part of the 2021 Arts Alive programme, the City of Johannesburg will host a Tribute to the Kwaito Legends event on 14 October 2021.
The event will be recorded in front of a live audience at Soweto Theatre and streamed on 22 October 2021. It will reflect on kwaito’s origins coupled with the period of economic empowerment, especially for black artists in the South African music industry.
The emergence of kwaito influenced and changed the face of the creative sector in South Africa, specifically the music industry. It saw the flourishing of many black-owned Independent record labels, resulting in the creation of a value chain which generated numerous employment opportunities for youth in the townships that included artists, producers, managers, technicians, promoters, musicians and dancers among many others.
Kwaito as a music genre was born in Soweto during the democratisation of South Africa and quickly became a voice of black youth during the post-apartheid era. It is therefore befitting that the occasion of this magnitude takes place in one of Soweto’s prestigious facilities, the Soweto Theatre.
The tribute will be presented in two sessions. The first session will be a dialogue and the celebration of the genre with music performances by kwaito legends. The dialogue will reflect on the role of kwaito in revolutionising the music industry in South Africa.
Performances will see kwaito legends such as Mapaputsi, Thebe, Trompies, Mdu, Professor and Sbu Maloya take to the stage belting kwaito hits. It will also include kwaito producers and artists, featuring Joe Nina, Zola 7 and Nestum. The dialogue is set out to reflect on the evolution of kwaito, the culture and the role of women in the kwaito.
The second session of performances featuring the Alex Rockstars will have slideshows of deceased kwaito artists, with DJ Miss T playing their music as a tribute. The performances will also include a kwaito artist that won the 2020 Arts Alive Battle of the Regions (BOTR), a music development programme. This will mark a milestone in the development of an emerging artist who will share the stage with kwaito legends.
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