Madala Kunene
Thu Nov 21, 20:00 - Fri Nov 22, 23:55
UNTITLED BASEMENT
ABOUT
Untitled Basement is honoured to host the legendary Madala Kunene for two nights on 21st and 22nd November.
Madala Kunene (Bafo), commonly referred to as the king of the Zulu guitar, often described as an Mbaqanga or Maskandi artist—something he personally hates. Kunene is an artist who is constantly shifting between musical habitats. He has no interest in genre specifications and prescriptions. Instead, his brand of blues operates in an opaque space where cool Jazz, Maskandi, Mbaqanga, and a myriad of East Coast blues intersect.
“Music that’s one-dimensional never connects with people,” Kunene says. “I grew up listening to a lot of Duke Ellington and The Beatles. Even then, I realised that this music was from elsewhere but that it also had bits and pieces and sounds that I could recognise from my own life. And that was liberating because it allowed me to merge things from different sounds that I liked, giving me ownership of that process.” This merger of sounds is something Kunene has dubbed “The Madalaline.”
There’s more to this legend than the text can describe, and this page is too short to speak on complexities and nuances that is manifested when Madala Kunene performs.
Book advance tickets here at R180, for Thursday 21st November, or Friday 22nd November.
Tickets are unreserved, call the venue to reserve seating/tables or pre-show dinner bookings contact:
011-339-1647 (Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 6pm) or email [email protected] (ask for bookings)
Tickets are available at the door at R240.