Friday 13th June 2008 saw Pamoja appear at University College School’s (UCS) in Hampstead. The event was to raise funds for Equatorial College School (ECS) in Uganda and the Akili Trust in Kenya. Akili Trust is a body responsible for establishing and supporting community libraries, providing educational resources and organising professional training. Education is the key to development and we believe that the Akili Trust is doing a great job. As an African band we felt that we have an obligation to support good causes and Pamoja chose to forego any remuneration for this event and provide their services for free. UCS has to be commended for organising such an event because it was well supported. Over 300 people turned up to raise the most needed funds for this African cause. There were number of acts from the College in addition to Pamoja’s set who made sure that the audience was well-entertained.

 

 

Being part of this event made us realise that we are part of the wider universe and need to do whatever we can to make the world a better place. There was footage on screen about UCS’s recent visit to ECS in Uganda. The footage showed difficult conditions that people have to live in because of poverty and deprivation. One particular footage showed a football pitch which was more of a forest than a football pitch but the locals were happy to showcase their skills on such a pitch. Looking at these pictures made me remember where I was raised up and the conditions that I lived for most of my life. It made me remember why my knees still bare scars because I was a goalkeeper on a pitch without grass. So, imagine diving for the ball on a hard, red African soil, bare footed, with no gloves or cushions for your knees and elbows. That’s football as I knew it and that’s what the kids at ECS and the rest of Africa face every day.

 

The UCS event made me realise the need for more schools in the developed world to do whatever they can to improve the quality of life of schools in the less fortunate environments than them. There are thousands and thousands of schools throughout the world who could change the lives of others through little acts of kindness like raising Ł5. Growing up in South Africa, I remember that my mother worked for under Ł5 a month which was enough to buy our family 80kg of maize meal. Looking at these pictures made me remember the fact that I went to school bare-footed without shoes. Can you imagine a last grade student going to school without shoes? Unfortunately, that’s what happened to one student called Simon.

 

Certainly, there is a need for events like these throughout the world to make a difference to those less fortunate than us. As an African and an African band, Pamoja will do whatever it can to promote Africa and to support those who are working hard to improve the quality of life of an African child.

 

 

 

 

Sunday 09th December 2007 was billed as the 'Afro Jazz Live Xmas Party at Leonards EC1' and Pamoja was billed to headline the evening. We have played at Leonards twice before, so this was our third outing there. I know that the band enjoys playing there as it is a very relaxed environment and the sound is amazing. So, I was looking forward to another great show, this time with more people to see us play. Sylvester, the organiser for the event had done a great job promoting the event. He had entrusted me with a lot of flyers to distribute, which I did my best to do, regardless of the fact that it had my picture plastered all over them. So, I had to get used to being the centre of attention.

 

The evening began with a group of drummers called Amajuba ('doves'). Amajuba has about 10 members and they rendered a number of tracks which got the people in the mood for the evening. Their set was quickly followed by a Jam session by Zasha while Pamoja guys were enjoying Fildah’s African food. If there is one thing I am proud of, it is that I have taught Pamoja how to enjoy the food that I ate everyday since I was a child. This is called 'pap' which is an Afrikaans word for 'porridge'. I know that Sam enjoys it so much - I can eat it 365 days a year and will still never have enough of it!

 

After our African meal and Zasha's set it was our turn to ascend to the stage. It’s amazing what a number of gigs can do to your confidence because we were very relaxed, with no nerves at all. It was clear that the audience were waiting patiently to see us play. Our set began with the soulful 'Mama', reminiscing about our support set to Tuku in Wales. We could see that the crowd enjoyed it but our second song, 'I am only yours' got the crowd on their feet. It was clear that the crowd enjoyed the high tempo songs and the band did not disappoint. The high tempo 'Afrika' also got the audience on their feet. When you have so many people dancing and enjoying themselves, it becomes difficult to disappoint them by cutting a song short but sometimes you have to do it anyway. 'Afrika' was quickly followed by 'eJoni' another audience favourite and the dance floor had some serious activity. Finally, after a set lasting over an hour we had to play our last song, 'Xenophobia'. We have always played 'Xenophobia' last in all our gigs and people seem to respond well to it.

 

All in all, it was another successful evening for the band. Strange enough someone who met me 3 years ago (who I could not remember) came to me and asked why we have not played at South Africa House (South African High Commission). I would like to play there because Pamoja represents everything what it means to be African and we would like to share our music with more people especially from the African continent. Hopefully one day we will get a chance to showcase to Her Excellency Dr Lindiwe Mabuza, the South African High Commissioner what Pamoja can do.

 

Special thanks to the people who braced the cold weather to come see us play. As always we never take any of your attendances for granted. Another special thanks to the Pamoja guys for foregoing what they could have done elsewhere to come entertain the audience. We have shown that we can hold our own against any group out there and we need to keep striving forward because we are definitely on the right track. Every performance is a valuable experience which keeps on making us better and better.

 

Mention must be made of DJ Wala who was our sound engineer on the night and made sure that the sound in Leonard's was great. He also spun some discs during the event that helped make the evening a success. I know that he is a good friend of Pamoja and loves the music. Many thanks for all his support since I meet him in July 2007 during the Rise Festival. DJ Wala was the man behind the African Stage which hosted Dorothy Masuka, Osibisa, Harare and others. His knowledge and influence in the African music scene in London and beyond is unparalleled.

 

Let’s do it again soon. I certainly can play again anytime because I loved every minute of it. [ed.."me too.. me too.." c¦:D]

 

 

 

 

 

 

A colleague left a booklet about The 2007 BBC Radio 3 London Jazz Festival taking place throughout November 2007. Browsing through I looked at artists that will be performing at this 9 day event. I couldn’t help noticing that they will have the likes of Vieux Farka Toure, son of the late Ali Farka Toure, Simphiwe Dana from South Africa and others. What really caught my eye was the fact that the legendary Cape Verdean artist Cesária Évora will also be appearing at this event.

 

Cesaria Evora, born in 1941 in the port town of Mindelo on the Cape Verde island of Sao Vicente, is known as 'the barefoot diva' because of her propensity to appear on stage in her bare feet in support of the disadvantaged women and children of her country.

 

Cesária Évora lost her father at the age of seven. After his death, Cesária's mother struggled to support her on meager earnings as a cook, eventually entrusting Cesária to the care of an orphanage. It was in the orphanage choir that Cesária first learned to sing.

 

At 16, Cesária met a Cape Verdean sailor named Eduardo who taught her the traditional Cape Verdean styles of music of coladeras and mornas. The mornas (which may be derived from the word mourn) are songs of sadness, sorrow and yearning. She began singing in local bars and hotels. With the help of local musicians, she would hone her skills and would later be proclaimed "Queen of Mornas" by her fans. She became famous in Cape Verde, but remained relatively unknown internationally.

 

In 1975, Cape Verde gained independence but its new leader Amilcar Cabral was assassinated during the turmoil that accompanied the end of five centuries of Portuguese rule. Évora was still popular at the time but her fame did not lead to financial success. Frustrated by personal and financial problems, compounded by the very difficult economic and political situation in Cape Verde, Évora gave up singing to support her family. She didn't perform for 10 years, which she describes as her "dark years."

 

Cesária resumed performing after being encouraged by a Cape Verdean exile, leading musician and patron of the arts, Bana, who lived in Portugal. He secured invitations to Portugal where she performed a series of concerts sponsored by a local women's organization.

 

A Frenchman of Cape Verdian descent named Jose Da Silva persuaded her to go to Paris where she recorded a new album, La diva aux pieds nus (The Barefoot Diva) in 1988. This album won critical acclaim and began for her a dramatic comeback that accelerated with her 1992 album, Miss Perfumado. She became an international star at the age of 47.

 

Cesária Évora’ story rings true to me and I admire her contribution to world music. Her barefooted performance reminds us of disadvantaged women and children throughout the world. I also draw strength and encouragement from her that while that which we need as artists might not happen overnight, if we persevere and work hard, it will surely come to pass. Cesária Évora became an international star at the age of 47. This shows that despite adversity that I and other musicians face in getting our music heard by the world, success will surely come our way one day somehow. All we need to do is to continue nurturing our talents because good music cannot be kept hidden forever. Until then, I will keep drawing inspiration from the barefoot diva of Cape Verde.

 

 

 

 

What do you do when you meet a group that symbolises what it really means to be an African band on the world stage? Speechless, I guess that’s the best response.

 

 

Ladysmith Black Mambazo have recorded over 40 albums and sold more than 10 millions copies worldwide in a career spanning 46 years. They have been nominated for the Grammy Award 12 times and won it twice in 1987 and 2005. They tour the world extensively and they have performed in thousands of places and met so many people along the way. They have appeared on top TV shows in the USA and everywhere else and their music used in TV commercials and films. They have performed for the Queen of England and other members of the Royal family at the Royal Albert Hall, an honour for an African group. And they were also handpicked to perform at the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002. They performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony for Nelson Mandela in Oslo, Norway in 1993 and performed at Nelson Mandela’s Presidential Inauguration in 1994.

 

So once again, what do you do when you meet such people in person? I was privileged - honestly very privileged when Sibongiseni, son of founder Joseph Shabalala and a member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo gave me the opportunity to attend their show at Swindon’s Oasis Leisure Centre on Friday, 02 November 2007. I know that Pamoja guys will be furious at me for leaving them behind - sorry guys!

 

Swindon is about 100 miles away from London, a 2 hour drive if the roads are empty but as you know it was Friday, so the roads were packed to capacity. After surviving the traffic I arrived at Oasis Leisure Centre in time to watch Vusi Mahlasela (www.vusimahlasela.com) performs his last few songs. Vusi is touring the UK with Ladysmith Black Mambazo at the moment. I have always liked Vusi’s music and have a number of CDs from him including his duo with Louis Mhlanga. I have seen him perform in South Africa so many times, as a duo, with his South African band or his Scandinavian band Jive. So, it was indeed an honour being in the audience to see him play his solo set. I have to say that although I have seen him as a duo or in a band before, I actually enjoyed seeing him doing a solo set. I won’t forgive the traffic for denying me the chance to see his full set!

 

After a short break Ladysmith Black Mambazo took to the stage and started doing what they do best. As you would expect from a group that has done thousands of shows worldwide, they gave a very polished performance. The guys were very relaxed and seemed to enjoy what they were doing. As I watched them, I thought of my band Pamoja and wondered how we could have sounded on such a huge stage. From one of the founder’s earliest songs, Nomathemba (which means hope) the group rendered their beautiful harmonies, each song followed by a huge applause. It was really good seeing them perform one of the songs they did with Paul Simon on the Graceland Tour, 'Homeless'. Homeless is a very touching song as it talks about the plight of many people in Africa and elsewhere who have to live in shelters because they have no homes. They ended their 90 minute set with a beautiful rendition of 'Shosholoza'. Shosholoza is a traditional South African song that was sung by miners in South Africa while they were working. It is today sung at major sporting events and it seems to give the Springboks that extra push to win like we did in Paris during the recent 2007 Rugby World Cup.

 

 

I think the best part of the evening was being invited backstage to meet the group. Now, how many times do you get to meet your idols and not just ordinary people but people who have performed for Pope John Paul II amongst others? They sent their manager to find me so that I could meet them and what a reception they gave me. I felt very small musically but they were genuinely interested in my music career and had lots of ideas of where and whom to talk to. We took loads of pictures and talked a lot. One thing that really impressed me was how friendly these guys were. Remember, these are the same guys who have been on the Grammy Awards stage twice to receive the Grammy Award. It was really great meeting Sibongiseni and Thami, two of Shabalala’s 4 sons in the group. Sibongiseni and Thami have their own group called Shabalala Rhythm and they have recorded 4 albums already. So, it was really great meeting them in person because they have always loved and supported my music on MySpace.

 

The disappointment of the evening was when Sibongiseni took me to meet his father, ubaba Joseph Shabalala but the man was already asleep. Who can blame him? He has been around for a long time - 46 years since he formed the group. So, although I did not get to meet him, I am sure that the rest of Ladysmith Black Mambazo will pass the message to my elder statesman in music. I am sure that like Vusi and the rest of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, he will be pleased to see my music flourish and hopefully one day, ascend to the same stage as him to receive another Grammy Award for Africa.

 

You can read more about Ladysmith Black Mambazo, their life, merchandise and tour details on www.mambazo.com

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday 14th October saw the band appear at the 2007 Green Party Party. Once again the purpose of this Party was to raise funds to support the activities of The London Green Party. This was the 3rd time in a row that the band, although in different configurations, has appeared at this event but the first two were held at The Cartoon in Croydon.

 

The 2007 Green Party Party was held at The Brixton JAMM, a great venue which had just hosted Bloc Party a night before. They were 8 acts on the day and Pamoja was the second last act to perform. The band had had some great performances before this one, like supporting Oliver Mtukudzi at Chepstow Racecourse in Wales, and several appearances at Leonards-EC1. The band delivered a high tempo 30 minute set which got the crowd dancing.

 

Special thanks to Shasha Khan of the Green Party for being a big fan of the band and believing in our music. Our set received good reviews from those who stayed behind to see us play. One thing that the organisers have to work on in the future is to convince artists to stay after their sets so that they can support other bands. Over the last 3 years that we played there we have noticed that bands that benefit from crowds are those who play first. Once their bands played people often leave. Experience has shown that the last 2 bands to perform are always the best bands on the day but these bands often lack support as most folk have already left the venue, which is really a shame.

 

So, come on people - please encourage the audience to stay and support the other bands. Congratulations for getting the Party to end at 10pm, but we need more people to stay later to support those of us who are billed to play late..

 

(ed: "..The raffle ticket event was a great idea though..like..like Kinetic Energy Recycling Systems ..on all heavy vehicles?!?!" c¦:)

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday 29th September 2007 is probably one day that will remain engrained in the minds of all of the members of Pamoja for a very long time. This was the day that we drove from London, across the mighty river Severn, to Chepstow Racecourse in Wales to perform a supporting role for The Zimbabwean Legend Oliver ‘Tuku’ Mtukudzi. Tuku had just finished his tour of New Zealand and Australia, and this was part of his 2007 Autumn UK Tour. After some crafty negotiations on my part we managed to get the nod from the promoters to come showcase our music.

 

This was the first time that we'd ever performed at Chepstow, and the place was posh, to say the least. We were given our own VIP dressing room, with Sky TV, with a private balcony overlooking a most beautiful racecourse, set in an idyllic landscape, a bar, and staff catering to our every need. We were treated like royalty!!

 

The stage, with it's 1^st class sound system, was housed in a marquee, the audience, clearly barred by railings from the performers. Pamoja was the first to play. Although the crowd was only trickling in when we started, people enjoyed the unique sounds of Pamoja and we could clearly see them dancing along in the early evening light. As we played one song after another the audience started building up, and their appreciation for the music grew as well.

 

 

I guess the most remarkable thing happened after we performed one of our favourite tracks, 'eJoni'. The audience cried out for us to play the song again! Well, this was a suprise, certainly not part of the script, but after a brief moments hesitation we performed 'eJoni' again, and the people showed their appreciation by dancing along. Finally, we performed our last song, which is always 'Xenophobia', and the crowd just joined in and danced along with us. After a set of about an hour and a half, they were still chanting for more, but sadly, there was no time, because there were 2 other bands set to follow..

 

This was, undoubtedly, one of the proudest moments of my life as a performer. Performing in front of an appreciative crowd is something that every performer wishes to experience. And we certainly did open up the stage for one of the legends of African Music, Oliver ‘Tuku’ Mtukudzi. We have photos to show for it, and memories that will last us a lifetime..

 

 

Our thanks to Felix and Apollo Promotions for allowing us to share a stage with the legendary Oliver Mtukudzi. We will forever be grateful to you guys! And special thanks to our stand-in drummer, Harare and ex-Bhundu Boys drummer, Kenny Chitsvatsva. He did a fantastic job and we are immensely grateful to him for his contribution.

 

 

 

 

Held at Leonards-EC1 and also featured the wonderful Doreen Thobekile who was backed by various members of Pamoja.

 

 

 

Arboterum Park, Nottingham

Also playing at this Anti-slavery event was Percy Dread, of 'Natural-ites' fame, who played a sweet Reggae set. Our thanks to Anthony, who made it possible