‘King of ballads’ Madlingozi to perform on home soil
Music legend to headline East London leg of Easy Sunday Soul Sessions
Boasting a music catalogue that transcends generational lines as a fan favourite, legendary singer Ringo Madlingozi looks forward to performing his classic records in East London on Saturday.
Madlingozi, 60, is booked to headline the East London leg of the Easy Sunday Soul Sessions picnic at Police Park alongside radio man Ismail Abrahams.
The headliners will be accompanied by various local soul, R&B and afro pop DJS.
Dubbed SA’S king of ballads, with a career spanning more than 35 years, Madlingozi said an opportunity to perform in his home province was always exciting.
“That’s where my roots are and the core fan base of my language is in the Eastern Cape.
“The stories I tell through my music are much more accepted and understood in the Eastern Cape,” Madlingozi said.
The music legend’s East London fans will be jamming to his timeless classics while he prepares to release a new album some time in 2024.
Madlingozi, who has hinted at dropping the new album since 2023, said it was due for
release around July.
He said he had no doubt his fans still enjoyed his classics as they had for decades.
“Even though my music is old, every time I perform it feels new. I am able to perform the same music in different ways.
“It moves with the times without losing the essence of who Ringo is.
“My East London people will be hearing the songs they love and hopefully that will take them back to where they were when they first heard each song,” he said.
To give fans a hint of what direction the new album will take, he said he would accommodate younger generations while holding on to the core of his original sound.
“The challenge of creating something new while people still love the classics always presents itself but the essence of who Ringo is, the messages and the relatable content will always be there.”
He said his music would always promote love, tolerance and unity.
Now a member of the EFF in the National Assembly, Madlingozi reiterated that he had always demonstrated political activism through music.
“My very first album Vukani contains political content which reflects where Ringo is today, politically.
“It reflects the love and attachment with Ringo’s people.
“The only difference this time around is that I am using my voice on another platform that is not only limited to music.
“Vukani has songs like Abasemzini, which talk about the challenges the government would face when people fight for space with people who are not necessarily coming from SA but another part of Africa which is not necessarily a bad thing because Africa is one.
“It was 1995 when I made that album but today we see such challenges,” he said.
The album also reflects times during the apartheid regime.
Since the genesis of his music career in 1964, Madlingozi has bagged diehard fans who witnessed his musical birth and passed their love for his records to their own children and grandchildren.
The secret behind his multigenerational success, he said, was the ability to write authentic, vulnerable and relatable music in his home language.
“I sing about everyday experiences and emotions that resonate with people of all ages
love, tolerance, life’s challenges.
“It also pays to lend an ear to what the younger generations are listening to, not to change yourself but to adapt to the new sounds.
“The other aspect is the identity of my voice; that is the most important part that connects me with all these generations,” he said.
Madlingozi advised budding musicians, whose aim it was to create timeless music that would be cherished by multiple generations, to be authentic and cherish their originality.
“It is one thing to be inspired by someone but it’s another thing to want to copy that person.
“The minute I become a carbon copy of someone else, I am no longer attractive to the masses looking for who I am,” he said.
The East London leg of the Easy Sunday Soul Sessions picnic runs from 11am to 8pm.
Event organiser Thandi Mavata warned patrons to adhere to the event’s “All-white” theme and dress accordingly.
“The theme of the event is strictly ‘all white’. We ask everyone to adhere to that.
“Anyone who fails to honour the theme will be fined or not let into the event,” Mavata said.
All early bird, phase 1 and phase 2 tickets are sold out.
Phase 3 tickets cost R300 at Computicket, Shoprite and Checkers.