Zolani Mahola to headline free concert ahead of Cape Town International Jazz Festival

The highly anticipated Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF), taking place on March 27 and 28 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), is just around the corner.

The upcoming festival promises two unforgettable evenings of world-class music across multiple stages in the heart of The Mother City.

Since its launch in 2000, the CTIJF has grown from a modest local event into one of the largest and most respected jazz festivals on the African continent.

According to the Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, the city is thrilled to once again host the CTIJF.

“Now in its 23rd edition, this iconic event has become one of our most beloved and well-attended festivals - and one of the best jazz events on the entire continent - showcasing the incredible vibrancy and diversity of Cape Town through its ever-expanding music offerings.

"From the two festival days at the CTICC to the free concert at Greenmarket Square, there really is something for everyone. I invite all Capetonians to come and immerse themselves in the magic of live music. Wishing all the musicians and music fans a fantastic festival.”

Over the years, the festival has welcomed internationally acclaimed artists such as Herbie Hancock, Hugh Masekela, Erykah Badu, Jamie Cullum, and The Roots, among many others.

On March 25, South African singer and actress Zolani Mahola will perform at a free concert.

"Independent Media Lifestyle" spoke to "The One Who Sings" vocalist about all things music and her upcoming performance at the CTIJF.

You’ll be performing at the free concert ahead of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival - what does it mean to you to bring music directly to the public in such an open and accessible space?

I have fond memories of performing with Freshlyground in this very space, and it brings me great joy to present myself as a solo artist who has gone through much transformation personally and musically.

I’m excited to connect with all the people. All the people…

The festival is such a celebrated moment on South Africa’s cultural calendar. What kind of energy can audiences expect from your set this year?

The audience can expect the energy of a woman who is connected to them… someone who is at once familiar and also an artist they are meeting for the first time.

It's a powerful thing, standing at a point in my career where a large number of people have a relationship with my previous work, but at the same time, I am presenting a new artist and inviting them into a new world and a new part of the journey.

Having performed globally, including your years with Freshlyground, how does performing at home in Cape Town compare to international stages?

It is always good to perform for the home crowd! Best ever! There is that love and connectedness and less of a need to break the ice, so to speak.

Are there any songs or moments in the set that you’re especially excited to share with the audience at the free concert?

I'm very excited to expose people to my new work. After releasing seven albums with Freshlyground, I released my first solo work, ‘Thetha Mama’, in 2021 – a more contemplative album with a couple of collaborations with Sun-El Musician.

I am now following up with my new release, which is produced by a Grammy-nominated producer called Hannah V, who has worked with many international artists, including Rihanna, so the music has more of a pop treatment and is very much uniquely Zolani Mahola.

Your solo work feels deeply personal and reflective. How has your musical voice evolved in this chapter of your career?

There has been a massive change. In many ways, the idea of finding one’s voice and place is a rite of passage for every human being on the planet, and I have been no exception.

For almost twenty years, I was the voice and face of a pan-African group that was highly successful, and I loved all of it.

There came a time when I needed to branch out on my own, and that entailed a deep inquiry into who I am as a woman, a parent, and a citizen of this great nation.

All of this influenced the art that came out of me. For the first five years after parting with the band, I focused on small storytelling-infused shows and wrote music from that place.

I am now in a different place where I want to write songs that invite the collective to feel themselves in the work and also, crucially, get in touch with their agency to affect change in their lives and in those of the greater community.

Are you currently working on any new music, and what can listeners look forward to next from you?

The new work will be released in the form of singles and then the full album starting in May this year.

People can already get a taste of some of the sounds if they follow me on socials across platforms.

I have already been teasing the upcoming release of the first album single, ‘Xhosanostra’, and so many people around the world have been loving it, so I’m excited to finally drop the track and album.

Your work often blends storytelling, activism and music. How do those elements shape what you’re creating right now?

The name of the upcoming album is "People Power", and I draw a lot from the dreams of the anti-Apartheid movement that have been hijacked by some of the very people who stewarded it.

These dreams are the dreams of the thousands upon thousands of people who fought for the freedoms we enjoy today - those who wanted a future for the black and brown children of this country to enjoy.

People like my late uncle, the poet Mzi Mahola, who was involved in the anti-Apartheid movement, but who, like so many, not only went unrecognised but was left so bitterly disappointed by those in leadership in terms of what they have done with the freedoms they fought so hard for.

I am a child of apartheid in some ways, having grown up in its dying throes, so I understand much of why our country is the way it is, and I realise that it takes people harnessing the power of their individual and collective voices to advocate for the society they truly want.

I want to be a part of that collective dreaming and fashioning of a truly free South Africa.

Jazz festivals bring together artists from diverse genres and traditions. What excites you most about being part of a line-up like this?

I have had such a diverse upbringing in terms of being exposed to different worlds, like the majority of South Africans.

I have always enjoyed playing music of most genres, and I am music to my very core. I belong here for sure.

For those who may be seeing you live for the first time at the free concert, what feeling or message do you hope they leave with?

I want people to feel like they have a voice… I do this through the device of encouraging people to literally sing at the concerts.

But also the strong messaging of all my work, whether as a speaker, songwriter, playwright, or singer, is that we all have a story to tell and a part to play in the health of our communities and country.

More information about the festival is available at www.capetownjazzfest.com. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.