Legend returns for ‘Music of the Bay’
A MUSIC great born and bred in Port Elizabeth has returned to assist in the nurturing and development of aspiring musicians.
Lawrence Pilile Matshiza will be joining fellow Bay talent Afromix in the three-hour Music of the Bay concert to be held at the PE Opera House tomorrow, with doors opening at 6.30pm.
Matshiza has made a name for himself both nationally and internationally.
Having worked with bands such as Afroteens and Black Slave in PE in his early years, he left to join the legendary playwright Gibson Kente’s cast in Johannesburg.
He has produced many award-winning albums for noted South African artists, and worked with John Legend and Ray Parker Jr during the 2010 World Cup Concert.
He even wrote a song for the legendary Harry Belafonte and has worked with Manhattan Brothers, Patti Austin, Cyndi Lauper, Andy Narell, Peabo Bryson, Frank McCombe, Paul Simon, Caiphus Semenya, Letta Mbuli, Hugh Masekela and Gregory Porter, among other career highlights.
Afromix, also known as actor, trumpeter, musical director, composer, arranger and producer Musa Lawrence Mavundla, is another homegrown success story who will be on stage tomorrow. Building on a well-established career in the early 1980s, he worked with Papa and Blondie Makhene, Vusi Shange, Supafrika, Cheek To Cheek, Condry Ziqubu, Sipo Gumede, and Louis and The Jive in Joburg.
After doing some television work, he returned to Port Elizabeth in 1987 to co-establish the first record label in the Eastern Cape, producing untapped talent like Loyiso Bala, Phinda Mtya and others.
He spent many years working in community arts development and won an Artes Award for Best Performance of Light Music in the African Languages category in the early 1990s.
Over the years, he has played with the likes of Winston Mankunku Ngozi, Mcoy Mrubata, Lulama Gawulana, Gloria Bosman and Don Laka, and internationally renowned Andy Narell from the US.
Tomorrow night, Matshiza will be on guitar, with Asanda Sikasi on vocals, along with Tembinkosi Booi, Siyasanga Koyo, Pumeza Mbuqe and Juda Cola, who will be performing a wide range of songs from original compositions to well-known African standard songs.
The musicians who work with Afromix are Lubabalo Luzipho on keyboards, Siya Mdebele on piano, Tembani Kubashe on bass and Sakhi Nompozolo on drums.
Afromix horns are Lefa Mosea, Mkhululi Gxasheka, Sakie Mambukwe and Sinethemba Mgebhula.
Tickets to Music of the Bay are R100, available from the Opera House.