Khoza revisits Isandlwana
Musical tribute to triumphant battle
Renowned artist Mbuso Khoza is set to bring a 140year-old story to life when he stages a lecture on the historical Battle of Isandlwana.
Known as Isandlwana Battle of Musical lecture, the show will be staged at Joburg Theatre to commemorate the African triumph over British forces.
The lecture will comprise a narration by Khoza and singing of amahubo (hymns) by The Afrikan Heritage Ensemble on January 25.
Khoza explains that the lecture will not dwell on glorifying King Cetshwayo’s exploits but demonstrating how unity of purpose has achieved the “impossible” and showed preparedness by Africans to lay down their lives in defence of their land.
The lecture was inspired by research he conducted six years ago on amahubo of the 17th and 18th century.
“As a heritage and music lover, I have always been fascinated by songs and activities from the past. I conducted research on amahubo that were sung by our people and concluded that these are time capsules, fully encoded with vast amounts of knowledge on how leaders and their subjects responded to the advancement of colonialists.”
He further explains that the story of the Battle of Isandlwana has been positioned as a Zulu thing.
“As an artist I am looking at it as the African and South African victory. If we positioned it as a South African story and heritage it won’t promote tribalism.
“This is a first, and it is carefully put together to enable even a person who has never heard of Isandlwana to understand the significance of this occasion where Zulu warriors outthought and humiliated the mighty British army on January 22 1879.”