THE AMANDLA FREEDOM ENSEMBLE BRINGS ORATORIO OF A FORGOTTEN YOUTH TO THE MARKET THEATRE
ORATORIO OF A FORGOTTEN YOUTH
The multidisciplinary collaborative performance is the echo of the 1976 youth resistance and enthusiastic chant for change
The Amandla Freedom Ensemble led by Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz 2019 Mandla Mlangeni, will once again bring The Oratoria of a Forgotten Youth to the stage, and reimagine jazz through the lens of poetry, classical musings and the ‘black consciousness’ legacy in South Africa.
The collaborative endeavour will culminate in a grand performance of Jozi’s strongest forces within the jazz, classical and indigenous music scene. The Oratorio will be performed at The Market Theatre in Johannesburg on 28 and 29 January, and features The Vivacious Sounds Choir, acclaimed sand artist Tawanda Mu Afrika, esteemed academic, pianist and scholar Yonela Mnana and a libretto by award winning poet and theatre practitioner, Lesego Rampolokeng.
“Our foray into the classical world is an opportunity to give voice to new expression within the structural confines of Western Art, while also drawing from the deep well of indigenous music by creating cultural avenues that allow for audiences to tap into new and unimagined worlds”, says Mlangeni. The production, commemorating the June 16 and Fees Must Fall events through a musical and theatrical narrative, reflects the turbulence that South Africa finds itself in.
ORATORIO OF A FORGOTTEN YOUTH
The seemingly disjointed genre of arts is attractive in its audacity to re-imagine a cutting edge jazz ensemble paired with The Resonance Strings – Johannesburg’s premiere string quartet – and the Vivacious Sounds Choir. One is bound to be drawn to the boldness of the project in that it will create new and interesting narratives, juxtaposed with choral renditions of the struggles of our past, while swinging through the perplexities of our present day and cementing the foundations of our future.
The Oratorio of a Forgotten Youth is brought to you by The Wits School of Arts and National Arts Council in collaboration with The Market Theatre Foundation. This creative pairing seeks to be the springboard for the production and execution of bold new ideas of reimagining spaces for creative discourse.
Tickets for The Oratorio of a Forgotten Youth cost R150 per person and can be booked at Webtickets
To make block bookings and discounts please contact Anthony Ezeoke 011 832 1641ext 203/ 083 246 4950 or Bandile Luvalo 078 4344 860
The Amandla Freedom Ensemble is composed of:
Mandla Mlangeni and Michael Nkuna on trumpet
Ofentse Sebula on tenor sax
Kgetsi Nkotsi and Junior Matsila on trombone
Mark Fransman piano and reeds
Dalisu Ndlazi on bass
Siphiwe Shiburi on drums
Social Media handles:
Facebook: @MandlaMlangeni @TheMarketTheatre
Instagram: @mandlasmlangeni @markettheatre
Twitter: @MandlaMlangen12 @MarketTheatre
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