African music singer, songwriter and storyteller Latozi ‘Madosini’ Mpahleni wowed audiences at the University of Cape Town’s Hiddingh Campus on Saturday, 23 July with her performance of traditional African music. Madosini, as she is more commonly known, uses ancient African musical instruments such as the Uhadi (bow), the mrubhe musical bows as well as the isitolotolo (jaw harp) to promote a musical genre that is virtually extinct. She has performed concerts all over the world and, is considered to be a South African cultural treasure.

Close to 200 staff, students and members of the public packed the Hiddingh Hall venue for the ‘Bow Conversations’ concert, which was made possible thanks to the Institute for Creative Arts (ICA) in association with Any Given Sunday and Straight No Chaser Jazz Club. Guest cameo appearances included Hilton Schilder playing the mouthbow and melodica as well as musician Glen Ahrendse on mouthbow. In addition, fellow African artists Mpho Molikeng (on Kudu horns and saxophone) as well as Nothembele ‘Vuma’ Maka (on bows) joined Madosini on stage. The concert was Madosini’s second visit to the campus under the auspices of the ICA which offered free tickets to audiences. Accompanied by a translator and her musicians, she took the audience on a musical journey lasting almost two hours .

Madosini was born in the Eastern Cape village of KwaDlomo (near Umtata) in 1943. She fell ill at the age of 13 and a result of this illness, her mother taught her to play the Uhadi because she was unable to play with other children. Traditionally, young Xhosa girls were not permitted to play this instrument at the time. She did not attend school and is today, unable to read or write. Her many accomplishments include performing at the WOMAD festival between 2008 and 2009 and was the first person to be recorded and documented in the festival's Musical Elders Archives project. In 2013 she was awarded the South African Arts and Culture Trust Lifetime Achievement Award for Music, with the support of the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO), in recognition of her contribution to the country’s musical heritage. Madosini has collaborated with well-known artists such as Ringo Madlingozi, Thandiswa Mazwai and Brasilian musician Gilberto Gil. In addition, she has worked with Miriam Makeba and British rock singer Patrick Duff, with whom she toured the globe. She is a recipient of The Mbokodo award, the Metropolitan Lifetime award for best woman, the ACT lifetime achievement award, the Molteno Medal and the Lifetime Achievement award from the Calabash Conference at KZN.

“Nowadays the traditions we lived by are dying and people are no longer telling stories and making music. I try my best to keep it all alive.” – Madosini (translation)