Makhanda Igwijo competition: A celebration of youth and song, Music
Report
By Langelihle Elsie Skade
Makhanda hosted its first – and highly successful – Igwijo competition at the Guy Butler Theatre on Tuesday.
And it was an upcoming local group, the Makhanda Combined group, formed last year, that won first place with their signature song, “Unojaholo“.
Igwijo is an underrated genre that offers healing and joy to humans. It is a form of music that allows one to express thoughts and feelings through song. Most commonly in South Africa, it is sung during sports matches, gatherings and celebrations.
In partnership with the Mandela Bay Theatre Complex, the Eastern Cape Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts, and Culture (DSRAC), and the National Arts Festival, the competition was staged to allow young, aspiring township musicians from Makhanda, East London, Uitenhage, and Gqeberha to showcase their talents and compete for cash prizes in groups.
A well-known social media influencer and comedian, Vusumzi Sono, also known as “Vusi Oulik,” carried the show as the programme director. As the programme director, he brought the audience to feel the warmth and exultation of the competition. The competition consisted of seven amagwijo groups: First team, Ingoma, Makhanda Combined, Lishil’Igwijo, Smart Choices, Mayuyu Finest, and Muttons.
The Makhanda competition boasted a prestigious judging panel that included Loyiso Bhoki Saki, Samora Gxala and Phelela Seyisi.
Four groups bagged prizes: Smart Choice, Mayuyu, First Team, and Makhanda Combined Igwijo groups.
The Makhanda Combined group sang with confidence and warmth, marking their presence on the stage with dance moves and captivating the eyes of the audience. The lead singers’ vocals echoed softly across the Guy Butler Theatre. They sang in harmony and controlled their high pitches. They walk away with a R5,000 grand prize.
One Makhanda Combined Group lead singer, Sivenathi Bhotile, said that they will use the prize to buy t-shirts so they can be recognised as a group: “This is our first competition, and we wanted to show Makhanda that we exist as a group.”
The First Team igwijo group won second prize, and they walked away with R 3,000.
“It is our dream to be recognised as a group. The main purpose of joining this group is to gain publicity so we can get opportunities to perform in a bigger audience,” said Kungawo Mbutye, a member of the First Team igwijo group.
The competition closed off with a surprise performance from a legendary a cappella group, The Soil. Founded in 2004, the group of three is well known for combining contemporary township music and jazz with indigenous rhythms. The composer and founder, Ntsika Fana Ngxanga, the co-founder, Luphindo Ngxanga, and the singer-songwriter, Theo ‘Songstress’ Matshoba, brought their ardor for music to this competition.
Ngxanga said that they were eager to be at the competition because they wanted to support vocal-related activities involving young people who need guidance in the industry. “We want to be an industry that they want to ultimately be a part of as they advance in their careers,” Ngxanga said.
In the competition, The Soil witnessed unplanned, spontaneous and magical moments that manifested through the energy in the room. These moments often emerge from the energy of a live audience and the heartfelt performances that embody the true spirit of Igwijo.
The winning groups will perform alongside the powerful voices of The Soil, on Thursday at the Guy Butler Theatre.
