Event information
Baritone vocalist and Umhlobo Wenene FM jazz presenter Dumza Maswana brings his Umngqungqo Orchestral Experience to Artscape, following a sold-out run at Johannesburg's Market Theatre and appearances at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda. The production combines a full orchestra, conducted by Sakhile Simani, with musical direction by Mthokozisi Mabuza, and joint arrangements by the pair.
Maswana fuses isiXhosa indigenous music with jazz and orchestral arrangement, drawing largely on his 2022 album Celebrating African Song, produced with pianist Andile Yenana and nominated for a South African Music Award. Material spans reimagined traditional melodies alongside new compositions, with Maswana occasionally playing the uhadi, a traditional Xhosa musical bow, during the performance.
Previous stagings of the show have featured a full choir alongside the orchestra, adding a large-scale choral dimension to the arrangements. The production blends storytelling with live music rather than functioning as a conventional concert set, framing each piece within a broader narrative of heritage and identity.