Experience Khoza and Kunene’s elite guitar skills

LEGENDARY guitarists Bheki Khoza and Madala Kunene are set to shut Durban down at a concert in KZNSA Gallery in Glenwood.

The concert honours the legends for their contribution to the South African music industry.

“Musicians like Khoza and Kunene are largely underrated in the industry yet have contributed immensely to the South African guitar sounds. At iSupport, we feel this should be celebrated and doing this at our first live concert since the start of the pandemic would be no better time,” says organiser, Marlyn Ntsele, from iSupport Creative Business.

For those who do not know of Khoza, he is an award-winning, lefthanded guitarist from uMlazi who studied music at the University of Hartford, Connecticut, with the great Jackie McClean, from 1991-95.

Before studying overseas, he played with the African Jazz Pioneers, Abie Cindi, Sipho Gumede, Winston Mankunku Ngozi, Rene McClean, Victor Ntoni, Mike Makhalemala, George Lee, and Berry Rachabane, among others.

He worked with famous songbirds such as Sibongile Khumalo, Sophic Mgina, Dolly Rathebe, Abigail Kubheka and Themi Mtshani.

He is also the musical director for the South African film production of Drum, a fictional account of the razing of Sophiatown.

The film features a high-profile international cast, a wide variety of new musical production selections which defined the Sophiatown sound, and many of the surviving musicians who played in the bands of the time.

Kunene, also from Durban, wasn’t named the “King of Zulu Guitar” for nothing.

When he was seven, he made his first guitar out of a cooking oil tin and fish gut for the strings.

It was the likes of Sandile Shange who encouraged him to take his guitar playing much more seriously.

After some time, Sipho Gumede discovered him, and he started playing with Doc Mthalane, Songamasu, Shor Philips, Mankunku Ngozi and Busi Mhlongo.

He released an album entitled Made in 1995, which featured Londoner Zena Edwards, Sipho Gumede, Mabi Thobejane, Busi Mhlongo, Mandla Mgabhi and Mandla Masuku, Jose Neto and Flora Purim.

The Bheki Khoza and Madala Kunene concert takes place at the KZNSA Gallery, 166 Bulwer Road, Glenwood, Durban, on Saturday.

Tickets starting from R60 can be obtained via Webtickets.

Doors open at 6pm.