Afrosoul and jazz musician Brenda Mtambo is set to take fans down memory lane with a special two-nights-only musical showcase “A Decade Experience” at Joburg Theatre, on Thursday, December 8, and Friday, December 9.
Mtambo said the concert was her way of expressing her heartfelt gratitude to her supporters for their unwavering support for the past decade.
The KwaZulu-Natal-born star told IOL Entertainment that the upcoming show was the first leg of the exciting musical journey that she was set to embark on, in 2023, to mark a successful decade in the music scene.
“The Decade Experience is about the celebration of Brenda Mtambo as a solo artist.
“The first album was released in 2013 and 2023 marks 10 years that I’ve been a solo artist.
“My team and I then decided to put together a celebration for our fans,” shared the muso.
“I’ve done a lot of festivals and I’ve been on many stages… I’ve performed for presidents but the highest highlight is hearing someone say ‘your music saved my life, I was suicidal’ and hearing people say this about my music is very humbling and I don’t take it lightly.”
Mtambo said for the past decade her music remained relevant because she writes from a place of “vulnerability and honesty” and she never shied away from addressing burning issues such as gender-based violence and mental health.
“My music is about my life, it’s about what I experience but also it’s about what I observe.
“One of my new songs ‘Hamba Nathi’, I feel like it’s a song for the whole nation, considering that we still have this big elephant in the room - children and women abuse..we talk about it but we don’t do anything about it.
“Through songs such as ‘Aluta Continua,’ and ‘Mhlaba Wethu,’ I touch on political aspects of our country that include the issue of land reform.
“My music is inspirational. It brings hope.
“I’ve been very intentional about that because that is just who I am.
“I like to leave people feeling hopeful and feeling like tomorrow is going to be better. And those are messages that my music carries and I’ve been vocal about them.
“Recently, I’ve been talking about mental health, something that a lot of people struggle with and I wrote a song about that too.
“And a lot of people relate to my music, they find it relevant to their lives…they see themselves through me which is something that is very special.
“I call myself a healer. I heal through music.”
On what can be expected from the show Mtambo explained: “I always say when you come to my show, you come to experience.
“You normally experience what you feel. If you feel the need for healing, you will experience healing. If you’re in a space of wanting entertainment and joy, you’ll feel that.
“I never want to box what my audience needs to receive on the day. I allow my heart to speak through music.”
Mtambo is set to release more music in the new year.
“I’m releasing an album in 2023. And the fact that this show is being recorded, it’s like a compilation of all the music that I’ve done and the new songs as well.
“The album is already done. We will announce its release date at the beginning of 2023.”
Tickets to “A Decade Experience” are available at Webtickets for R350.