Langalakhe Mabena
Of late, for an artiste to fuse their music and rendition it with an orchestra has proven to be the “in” thing.
Even South African multi-award-winning AmaPiano maestro Kabza De Small has had a try — a successful one, as he performed with an orchestra at his Red bull Symphonix concert which catapulted him to the position of Mzansi King of music.
Another great African music icon who is set to re-do her music by fusing the original compositions with an orchestra band and an all-female choir is the United States-based RnB goddess JoyRukanza.
Dubbed “JoyRukanza and the MatterMoreForSis Orchestra,” the much anticipated event is set to take place on 7 September at the Zimbabwe Academy of Music in Bulawayo.
For such an intriguing stage set to be planned, rehearsed and finally set to come to fruition with a performance – started as a dream while Joy was still a student at Sizane High School.
“My inspiration for performing with an orchestra traces back to my early exposure to classical music. During my time at Sizane High School, I was deeply involved in the choir, where I served as the choir captain for about five years and we would compete in local and regional choral competitions.
“To mentally prepare for those competitions, I used to watch a lot of videos of international choral ensembles accompanied by large orchestras and often found myself captivated by them. Although my school lacked the resources for instrumental music classes or an orchestra, the dream persisted.
“It wasn’t until I went to college in the US that I experienced performing with an orchestra for the first time. During my first year at Bryn Mawr College, I took chorale classes and had the unforgettable opportunity to perform Mozart’s Requiem with a full orchestra.
“That experience was life-changing and solidified my desire to one day merge my music with an orchestral accompaniment. Releasing my album MatterMoreForSis last year felt like the perfect moment to bring this dream to life,” said JoyRukanza.
The Queendom hitmaker said that forming an all-female choir was part of her drive which is to empower young girls by giving them an opportunity to realise their dreams.
“I will perform with females on stage and Lady Tshawe will be hosting the event as well. This is to give an opportunity to women so that they can reach their goals and accomplish their dreams.
“Rehearsals have been going well and those who will attend should expect a reimagined version of my album MatterMoreForSis, with each song arranged to accommodate the orchestra.
“They will hear their favourite tracks presented in a fresh, classical context, blending familiar Pop sounds with the rich textures of orchestral music,” said JoyRukanza.
Kyla Blac will be a supporting act at the gig.
