Mbuso Khoza to stage amahubo concerts in Pretoria

Amahubo in Concert, which will take place at SAST for the first time, seeks to preserve South African culture and heritage. The show will tackle issues such as tribalism and xenophobia and “teach people how to appreciate diversity”.

“Amahubo is a rare style of music and also serves as a scroll of the nation,” Mbuso Khoza said. “These are songs associated with the very beginning of time when the Nguni people were in control of their destiny. In the olden days, each household used to have a family song called ihubo which was used to safeguard the family history and serve as a prayer for respective families.”

“This concert is aimed at reminding people about the importance of heritage. Amahubo are the songs of the ancients. They are at the centre of our spiritual lives, our historical lives, even our religious lives. They carry messages of the past, warning us about the present. This event seeks to encourage people to embrace and fall in love with their histories.”

During the performance, Khoza will draw on similarities between the singing styles of the Nguni and Sotho-speaking communities from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Since founding the Afrikan Heritage Ensemble, Khoza has performed amahubo around the world. In October last year, he hosted the Amahubo Symposium at Wits Theatre in Johannesburg. The symposium featured performances from Nduduzo Makathini and Themba Mkhize.

The SAST shows will start at 8pm.

Tickets to the event can be purchased here.