Vusi Mahlasela
Vusi Sidney Mahlasela ka Zwane (born 1965 in Lady Selbourne in Pretoria ), known as Vusi Mahlasela, is a South African singer, musician and composer of popular music.
Life
His father has never met Vusi Mahlasela; because his mother Anna Modiegi Mahlasela died early, he grew up with his grandparents in the South African township of Vlakfontein (now Mamelodi ), where he still lives today. There he quickly came into contact with African music and poetry: "I learned to sing before I could talk at all ," his first guitar he built from an oil canister and strung them with strings of fishing line.
At seventeen, he already had his first gigs behind them and began writing lyrics and composing his own songs. He was later significantly influenced by the music of Philip Thabane and Miriam Makeba and the seal of Lesego Rampolokeng. In 1991, he released his first album When You Come Back, which was enthusiastically received immediately in South Africa. He writes his own songs, sings and plays acoustic guitar and percussion.
Since early youth politically engaged against the apartheid regime, he was invited in 1994 to perform at the inauguration of Nelson Mandela. In the same year he released his second album, The Wisdom of Forgiveness, which is to recognize his support for Mandela's policy of reconciliation already in the programmatic title. His third album Silang Mabela (1997) was honored by the South African Musicians' Association with two prices. In 2002, he plays and sings four songs in the South African music film Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony.
His music is catchy, non- aggressive, but never shallow, and makes use of the typical African rhythms and harmonies with jazzy overtones. In his gentle songs, he speaks to social problems of his country and is committed to reconciliation. Nadine Gordimer called him a " national treasure".
In the meantime ( 2008), Vusi Mahlasela released eight albums and conducted tours in the U.S., Canada and Great Britain. His last album Vusi Mahlasela cross section: The Voice (2003) was distributed internationally, but taken in Germany for lack of demand out of the distribution and is only available through Internet senders.
Mahlasela was won by Nelson Mandela personally as an ambassador for the 46664 anti-AIDS campaign, for which he advertises, among other things in his concerts and on his website and collects donations.
Quote
"If you are bitter you are like a dry leaf did -you-can just squash and you can get blown away by the wind. There is much more wisdom in forgiveness. " (Eng. "If you're bitter, you're like a dry leaf, which could crush easily, and you can be blown away by the wind. There is much more wisdom in forgiveness. " )
Discography
- When You Come Back (1991 )
- The Wisdom of Forgiveness (1994 )
- Silang Mabele (1997)
- Miyela Africa (2000)
- Jungle of Questions ( 2002)
- Vusi Mahlasela: The Voice Scrapbook (2003)
- Amandla! Original Soundtrack - 4 Songs ( 2003)
- Naledi Ya Tsela (2006)
- Guiding Star (2007)
- Say Africa ( 2011)
Movies
- Amandla! (2002) ( musician )
- Tsotsi (2005 ) (as a composer of film music)