Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • Africa could lead the way in precision medicine
  • Wall-to-Wall Creation
  • Covid grant should be increased to at least R413, say civil society groups
  • National shutdown goes off peacefully in Makhanda
  • A bond forged by mentoring
  • Ibe yimpumelelo itumente yolutsha eQhorha
  • A good financial planner is indispensable
  • Exciting encounters in LFA Premier League weekend games
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
Grocott's Mail
You are at:Home»ARTS & LIFE»The World of Music
ARTS & LIFE

The World of Music

Grocott's MailBy Grocott's MailMarch 1, 2023Updated:March 2, 2023No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Zanethemba Mdyogolo, Asakhe Cuntsulana and Musa perform the encore piece.
Zanethemba Mdyogolo, Asakhe Cuntsulana and Musa perform the encore piece. Photo by: Alyssa Harrison

By Alyssa Harrison

The music concert held at the Black Power Station on Saturday evening was an intimate gathering, a much smaller space than I had anticipated. This only added to the warmth as we sheltered from the brisk wind outside. The cosy atmosphere was accentuated by wooden bookshelves filled to the brim with books, as well as several couches that were put out for people to lounge on. In the centre of the room was a slightly raised platform with traditional instruments laid out in front of it, ready to be played. Already, the space signified a sense of togetherness, the gap between audience and performer broken.

The warm and cosy interior of the Black Power Station
The warm and cosy interior of the Black Power Station. People lounge about as they wait for the concert to begin. Photo by: Alyssa Harrison

The space brought together multiple forms of art. I immediately knew that I was among like-minded people when the evening began with a Black Power Station tradition, where anyone was invited on stage to read an extract from a book. The concert also featured original artworks by Asakhe Cuntsulana.  

A sense of anticipation grew, however, when guest artist Zanethemba Mdyogolo stepped forwards to perform a solo on the guitar, kickstarting the musical programme of the evening. Cuntsulana then took over, performing a piece on the one-stringed Xhosa uHadi bow.

Asakhe Cuntsulana performs a song on the adungu, a Ugandan harp. Photo by Alyssa Harrison
Asakhe Cuntsulana performs a song on the adungu, a Ugandan harp. Photo by Alyssa Harrison

Cuntsulana is a former music teacher at St. Andrews College and has finished his Master’s at Rhodes University. The music programme was a celebration and farewell of his time in Makhanda and painted a picture of his musical journey. “I’ve made friendships, relationships, broken friendships, found love in Makhanda…I need to acknowledge the role that [these people]have played in my life.”  The theme of hope was threaded throughout his compositions while also acknowledging the hardships and social challenges that society goes through.

One of the compositions that he played on the Adungu, a Ugandan harp, was a poignant piece about the Fees Must Fall movement that took place in 2016. It left us holding our breath, and eager for more of the rich sound of the Adungu, as the song faded away.

Cuntsulana takes a bow after a storm of clapping.
Photo by: Alyssa Harrison
Cuntsulana takes a bow after a storm of clapping. Photo by: Alyssa Harrison

Despite the stark contrast between each instrument – the Adungu, a harmonic instrument and full of sound, and the uHadi bow, limited in its range – Cuntsulana quickly drew us all into the world of African folk music. Before long, he had the entire audience clapping or singing along with vigour, calling us his “choir” as we enthusiastically joined in with the call-and-response.

As the evening drew to a close, a sense of peace stole over the room. The lullaby-like lull of the closing songs were made richer as other musicians accompanied him on guitar, voice and clarinet. Cuntsulana concluded with a duet called Sombawo, performed with the composer Dumza Maswana, and an encore piece with Mdyogolo and Musa. A beautiful farewell and reflection of Cuntsulana’s musical journey, the concert was personal and heartfelt. As he had promised in an interview before the concert, Cuntsulana conjured a space within his world of music where people could be at peace with themselves.  Still lost in his world, we went home to rest, hope in our hearts.

As the evening draws to a close, Asakhe Cuntsulana and Dumza Maswana perform Sombawo, composed by Maswana.
As the evening draws to a close, Asakhe Cuntsulana and Dumza Maswana perform Sombawo, composed by Maswana.
Previous ArticleOnline support available for depression and anxiety
Next Article ‘Last Saturdays’ at Fusion
Grocott's Mail

Comments are closed.

Tweets by Grocotts
Newsletter



Listen

The Rhodes University Community Engagement Division has launched Engagement in Action, a new podcast which aims to bring to life some of the many ways in which the University interacts with communities around it. Check it out below.

Humans of Makhanda

Humans of Makhanda

Weather    |     About     |     Advertise     |     Subscribe     |     Contact     |     Support Grocott’s Mail

© 2023 Maintained by School of Journalism & Media Studies.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.