Durban bands to tour Swaziland

14 Aug 2013

All-female jazz band, Heels over Head; popular hip-hop artists, Abdus; rap artist, Manelis; and DJ duo, The Nutscratchers from Durban will travel to Swaziland for a promotional tour from Friday, 16 until Monday, 19 August 2013. The four acts decided to team up for a promotional tour in Swaziland. The tour came about with support of the British Council and the South African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) Foundation.

Marlyn Ntsele of iSupport Music Business, the initiator of the tour, is excited and is looking forward to the tour, which will be their second one in the country: "We are very grateful that the British Council and SAMRO Foundation are supporting us in making this possible." In Swaziland iSupport partnered Rooted Soulz and Headcount hip hop sessions in Mbabane, both organizers with a solid record of putting on successful shows.

As a non-profit organisation, SAMRO aims to promote the national arts through sponsorships of various kinds and to encourage excellence in the arts through education, facilitation of economic participation in the creative economy, influencing cultural and arts policies by means of research and advocacy as well as promoting living, cultural heritage. The British Council creates international opportunities for the people of the UK and others and builds trust between them worldwide.

Expanded scope

"The panel of adjudicators hosted by SAMRO foundation and British Council were very excited that we received such good applications in the first round. We have expanded the scope in the second round and hope to encourage more South African musicians to venture across our borders and share their music, collaborate with our brothers and sisters across the border and foster, in the long term, a vibrant touring in southern Africa," said Andre leRoux, executive GM of the SAMRO Foundation.

Abdus is a popular Durban hip hop artist who released his debut album in 2012. In April 2009 Hype Magazine nominated Abdus in three categories for a Hype Award (the only national hip hop awards in South Africa): Best Lyricist, Best New Comer and Best Mixtape. He ended up winning an award for Best Lyricist.

With Heels Over Head being the winners of the Yamaha Young Talent Award in 2010 and a SAMA nomination in 2011, this all-female jazz band is steadily growing while working on their second album. Renowned for their sparkling stage presence, energy and passion, the band has found its groove and created a smooth, watertight brand of contemporary jazz. Thulile Zama and Nomkhosi Mazibuko on vocals are joined by Lindelwe Ngonelo on keyboard, Rebekah Pillay on drums and Michelle Stent on guitar to create the easy breezy jazz-pop that has become their signature sound.

People know Manelis as one of the fathers of vernac hip hop and one of the defining artists in Durban's rap development in beginning and mid-90s. Manelis draws inspiration from old African flavours, particularly South African artists such as Harare, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Letta Mbulu. His streetwise lyricism has an authentic Zulu feel with a colloquial touch that speaks of the African urban experience on soulful and sometimes alternatively experimental instrumental backdrops that inspire from a village to a global sonic landscape.