By Chalotte Mokonyane
Amanda Black’s performance in Makhanda, part of her “From My Soul to Yours” tour, was a powerful visual and sonic journey that began with the familiar and concluded with the beautifully authentic.
The first half of the show presented Black as the world knows her. Adorned with her signature Xhosa face dots known as umchokozo and her famous blue-braided wig with beads, she was the classic artist we’ve come to admire. Her performance was a masterclass in stage presence, each note resonating with the emotional depth of her lyrics. She moved with an elegant grace, connecting with the crowd through powerful eye contact and heartfelt gestures. Each song was a narrative, a message delivered with a raw, emotional vulnerability that made it impossible to look away.
But the night’s most poignant moment came in the second half. Amanda Black returned to the stage, her face bare, her natural hair styled to showcase its growth. This was more than just a costume change; it was a statement about the growth and self-acceptance she spoke about in our pre-show interview. “I am still Amanda Black,” she declared, with or without the adornments. Her performance continued with the same fire and passion, proving that true artistry lies not in external appearances, but in the soul.
Candid conversation
Before the concert, I sat down with Black for a candid conversation about her journey, her music, and the tour.
“My music has evolved a lot because I have evolved,” she said, reflecting on her path since she was a hopeful 23-year-old fresh from the Eastern Cape. The breakout success of her debut album, Amazulu, came with its own immense pressure, but also the power for profound personal growth. “The approach to how I tell my stories has grown so much because of the understanding and the respect I have for music.”
Before every new project, Black listens to her previous work. This practice of self-reflection was particularly crucial during the Covid-19 lockdown, which led to her album, Unyama. “We were all in complete isolation and total silence… just Amanda at that time realising there were things I’ve never dealt with.
“I felt like I’ve always had to fight for my value.”
This realisation culminated in the powerful track, “Nguwe”, where she finally discovered that the love she had been seeking was within herself. Unyama, she says, was a journey of self-awareness, a deep dive into her childhood to understand the origins of her decisions and self-perception. “With Unyama, I went back into my childhood… and for ‘From My Soil to Yours’, I felt like I really went back and healed that inner child.”
This healing, she says, has made her kinder to herself, allowing her to quiet the negative self-talk.
The conversation also touched on her relationship with the guitar. “I started performing with bands which was something I’ve always wanted but I also took a step back from playing the guitar on stage.” While she hasn’t stopped creating with it, she now has a desire to bring it back into her performances and to make it a central part of her stage presence once more.
The concert was more than just a showcase of her record collections; it was a live representation of the woman behind the music. From the familiar face of the Amazulu era to the raw, natural beauty of her present self, Black’s performance was a statement of self-acceptance and a call to her fans to embark on their own journeys of self-love.
Her music, rich with its new-found depth, is a testament to the fact that the most beautiful art is born from the deepest parts of the soul.
