Thandiswa Mazwai & Special Guest Kunle – Nov 16, 2024
Koerner Hall in association with Batuki Music Society presents South African sensation Thandiswa Mazwai. “South Africa’s finest female contemporary singer” (The Guardian) Thandiswa Mazwai brings her electrifying music to Koerner Hall. Toronto based Nigerian Canadian singer-songwriter Kunle opens the evening. This is the 1,340th concert in Koerner Hall.
DATE: Saturday November 16, 2024
TIME: 8pm
VENUE: Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St West, Toronto
TICKETS: From $45 at RCMusic.com, 416.408.0208, or at the Weston Family Box Office in person. Special Offer below.
Use code MAZWAI20 for 20% OFF tickets
Special Offer Details
Offer valid when you purchase on the phone, online or in person
Valid for max of two (2) tickets per person
Expires the day before the concert at 6 pm
Limited number of seats available for this offer while quantities last
Not valid for previously purchased tickets
Not applicable on Premium price level tickets
Contact the Weston Family Box Office for any questions
Thandiswa has been one of the most influential post-Apartheid singers in South Africa. She began her career in 1996 with music groups Jack Knife and Bongo Maffin, one of the pioneering bands of the dance music genre Kwaito. After six award-winning albums with Bongo Maffin, she ventured onto a solo career.
Her first solo project, Zabalaza (2004), reached double platinum status and won numerous awards, including a Kora award for Best African Female and four South African Music Awards. Her critically acclaimed sophomoric release Ibokwe (2009) and third album, a jazz reinterpretation of South African classics, Belede (2016), reached gold status within a few weeks of release. Her compositions include traditional Xhosa music, mbaqanga, funk, jazz, and reggae. Sankofa (2024), her fourth release, was recorded in Johannesburg, Dakar, and New York, and combines archival Xhosa samples, jazz, and west African music. It includes songs produced by Meshell Ndegeocello, Chris Bruce, Nduduzo Makhathini, and Thandiswa.
Known for her electrifying performances, Thandiswa has performed all over the world at venues including the Tiny Desk Concert, Apollo Theatre, The Lincoln Centre, The Cannes Film Festival, Africa Express, BBC World Music Awards, TED, Afropunk, and Carnegie Hall Citywide Festival, among others. She has collaborated with artists such as Hugh Masekela, Meshell Ndegeocello (including on her 2024 Grammy Award-winning album), Fatoumata Diawara, Somi, and DJ Black Coffee.
An award-winning multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter, Kunle’s folk and soul music bridges contemporary styles with roots in West African rhythms and stories. Nigerian-born and currently based in Toronto, Kunle combines his rich vocals, guitar tapping, harmonica, and talking drum to take audiences into what he terms “music with no boundaries.”
Over the past three years, Kunle has experienced a transformative journey, evolving into a versatile producer, composer, and performer. From enthralling showcases on the stages of prestigious festivals throughout North America, Africa, and Europe to making a notable debut on theatre stages, including the Stratford Festival, Kunle embodies the philosophy that creative expression is not just a performance but a way of life.
Both Thandiswa Mazwai and Kunle are making their Royal Conservatory debuts. Additionally, this is Thandiswa Mazwai’s Toronto debut.
