The International Library for African Music (ILAM), in collaboration with the South African Post Office (Sapo) and the National Arts Festival, held a free sundowner concert yesterday and unveiled a set of 10 new postage stamps to honour South African music legends.

The International Library for African Music (ILAM), in collaboration with the South African Post Office (Sapo) and the National Arts Festival, held a free sundowner concert yesterday and unveiled a set of 10 new postage stamps to honour South African music legends.

The artists who have been honoured are Solomon Linda, Spokes Mashiyani, Simon ‘Mahlathini’ Nkabinde, Miriam Makeba, Kippie Moeketsie, Lucky Dube, Taliep Petersen, Brenda Fassie, James Phillips (Bernoldus Niemand) and Johannes Kerkorrel.

The Sapo Board member and chairperson of the stamp advisory committee, Getty Simelane, says stamps may look small and insignificant, but are the ambassadors of the country.  “It was a delight to have South African musicians as a choice, and we gladly recommended to the cabinet to have them on our stamps,” she said. “The musicians whom we celebrate here have left a legacy.”

She adds that artist Vumile Mavumengwana did the artwork featured on the stamps.

Read more about the stamps and the music legends here.

At the concert, Ubom!’s Amapiko dancers, led by Janet Buckland from Rhodes University’s drama department,  provided entertainment comprising three dance pieces to songs by Fassie Kerkorrel and Petersen.

New Brighton Jazz Combo, led by Bongani Talwana on tenor and flute, and featuring the New Brighton Jazz sax legends Dally Tito and Patrick Pasha, played covers of the other seven music legends.

This is the second time that ILAM, Sapo and NAF have collaborated. In 2012, they launched a series of postage stamps to commemorate South Africa’s rich indigenous musical history.

The newly launched stamps are available for sale at Festival through the post office at the Monument.

This video was originally published on Cue Online – cue.ru.ac.za

The South African Post Office issued a set 10 self-adhesive stamps on 3 July, featuring artwork by Vumile Mavumengwana.

 

 

 

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