SA: Muneyi to present ‘Shumela Venda’ concert at UJ

The concert, organised in collaboration with UJ Arts & Culture, will take place at the Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre on the university’s Auckland Park Kingsway Campus.

According to organisers, the 90-minute performance will draw on Tshivenda oral traditions while incorporating folk, jazz and contemporary musical influences. The show is expected to feature both new material and songs from Muneyi’s existing catalogue.

Speaking about the event, Muneyi described the performance as a personal milestone linked to his years at the university.

“This is not simply an album launch. It is a return to the institution that witnessed my becoming. A conversation between who I was, who I became, and the people and spaces that held me through that journey,” he said.

The concert follows a long association between the artist and the University of Johannesburg. Muneyi first gained recognition on campus after placing third in the 2016 edition of So You Think You Can Sing UJ. He later performed in Choir Boy, UJ Arts & Culture’s production of the play by Tarell Alvin McCraney, which went on to receive a Standard Bank Fringe Award at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda.

During his time at the university, Muneyi was also a member of the UJ Choir and performed alongside artists including Nduduzo Makhathini and Zoë Modiga at the UJ Weekend of Jazz.

Organisers said the performance will explore themes of memory, ancestry and identity, reflecting the artist’s musical and personal journey over the past decade.

For UJ Arts & Culture, the event is intended to highlight the role of higher education institutions in supporting artists throughout different stages of their careers, from student development to professional practice.