I saw these amazing women perform in July at one of the best organised festivals I have been to, the Paleo Festival situated in a small Swiss city called Nyon. Every year the festival has a theme country and this year it was South Africa!
Alongside international names such as Jamiroquai, N.E.R.D and Iggy and the Stooges there was Johnny Clegg, Hugh Masekela, 340ml, EJ von Lyric, Ben Sharpa, Playdoe and Freshlyground. The ambience of the festival was beautiful as young and old mingled to diverse sonic landscapes.
Before I went on stage with The Very Best I had a chance to chat with the legendary women of Africa. When I told them who I was, they were like ‘ahhh, but it’s your uncle that brought us together’. Although I have never met the dude, Mahotela Queens were brought together by Rupert Bopape, who also created South African sixties groups such as Dark City Sisters and the Makgona Tshohle Band.
Mahotela Queens were formed in 1964, first known as Mahlathini and Mahotela Queens. In the 80s they found international success with the indestructible beat of Soweto, and after Paul Simon’s Graceland there was even more demand for South African music. In 1999 the group suffered the loss of the lead singer Mahlathini and formed a new band The Mahotela Queens
The energy that they portrayed and the immediate warmth they spread both to the crowd and to their fellow musicians was honest and inspiring, their performance as energetic and lively as their fellow musicians, mostly male and of younger age.
It struck me how the atmosphere changed in the backstage area when these women entered the room. The younger musicians seemed like their children, talked to in motherly kind. I am sure, that to anyone present, these wonderful and powerful women left an impression and inspired them to carry on with creating and performing the diversity of traditional and modern South African music.
Images (1)
