late-night antics

I first discovered Vusi Mahlasela while watching the documentary Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony. The doco is about how music played an important role in the fight against Apartheid - freedom songs and the like.

Mahlasela was a political activist during the time, and he is also an amazing musician with a beautiful voice. I think he's also a poet, if I remember correctly. It's reflected in his music anyhow, a seamless weave of melody and storytelling.

Here are two clips of Vusi I've come across tonight while browsing TED.com. I highly recommend the website, as it hosts a vast array of intellectual speeches as well as musical and other artistic performances.

The first song is Thula Mama, which incidentally features in the Amandla! documentary. The second one is called Woza, and although there is a lot of percussive vocals at the beginning, the song progresses into more melody and lyrics if you're willing to watch the whole clip :)





Really want to get my hands on a copy of his album(s).. I may need to order them in from overseas though.. maybe when the Aussie dollar goes up..