Don Laka's green “Poison”

Entitled “Poison”, the album is a wake-up call for the South African Jazz industry, featuring, as it does, an eclectic mix of Laka's signature kwaai-jazz sound mixed with a poignant message about the dire plight of our planet.

At the age of 52, Laka has tackled “Poison” with even more passion and intensity than his other projects. “I feel this passion I feel for saving the earth has had a rejuvenating effect on me personally and my music,” he said.

International recognition

As a solo artist, Laka has shone locally and internationally - touring London, the US, Canada, Austria, Russia, Chile, Cuba and Jamaica, while achieving international recognition for his music in England, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal and the US.

As a producer, Laka has used his rare sound-engineering skills to help legendary South African musos, such as Brenda Fassie, Sankomota, Sibongile Khumalo, Hugh Masekela, Ray Phiri, Mango Groove, Sharon Dee, Johnny Clegg, Bongo Muffin and Mafikizolo.

Reinvented himself

After more than three decades in the South African music scene, Laka has reinvented himself with “Poison” in what must be his most significant humanitarian project since the early-2000 release of his album, “Supanova”, in which he first touched on global-warming issues.

Indeed, Laka sees “Poison” as encompassing not only an album and a tour, but also an educational campaign to warn the world of the ugly side of global industrial progression, how it is affecting our lives today and the long-lasting effects it will have on the planet.

Polar bears

The inspiration for “Poison” stems from an unlikely source. “I was watching a documentary on how the melting of the ice caps is disturbing the lives of polar bears in the North Pole. They were struggling to find food in preparation for hibernation. That got me thinking about the damage that we had done to the world and what kind of legacy we are building for the future,” he said.

Acid Rain, Broken Glacier, and My World are some of the song titles on the album, which aims to get everyone involved in the fight to save our planet. “I'm not trying to save the polar bears, I'm trying to help save the world, and this album captures the spirit of my message,” Laka explained.

Eliminating plastic

Laka is putting his words into action, starting with the production of “Poison”. He refused to use the usual products in the production of the CD, eliminating 90 percent of the plastic generally used in production and embarking on a new development process to create the sleeve.

To spread the word, not only about the new CD, but also to get more people on the green train, Laka will be going on an earth-friendly city tour that kicks-off with in March 2010. A percentage of his total record sales will be donated to making South Africa a greener place for all.

Tour dates

8/9 April: Durban, Bat Centre
16 April: Port Elizabeth, Centenary Hall
17 April: East London, Orient Theatre
23 April: Swaziland, Swaziland Convention Centre
28/29 April: Botswana, Gaborone Sun
7 May: Pretoria, Pretoria State Theatre
8 May: Bloemfontein, Sun Duplessis
14/15 May: Cape Town, West End Theatre
15 May: Lesotho, Maseru Sun SAME DAY AS CT???