Mthakathi - The Band!!!

HI ALL! Do I look excited or what?! I can't hold it in any longer! I'd like to announce that I've *FINALLY* (I know, I know) begun putting a band together! The plans have been laid to start production on my long promised next recording project and my live performances will very soon expand into a *FIERY* full band, Afro / Rock synergy show. This has been in the offing for some time now, so to finally put this into motion is a BIG BIG (and exciting) move forward for me and the World Music On Jet Fuel movement!

We're just getting started so there's still much to be done before we can start formally sharing in all the "goings on," but I'm just *BURSTING* about this and I wanted to at least tell you all that this is finally happening.

I'm continuing to seek out the right musos to complete the lineup (so vocalists, guitarists, keyboardists, mutli-instrumentalists...inbox me!), but I do have the nucleus of the band in place. It consists of three of my long time African brothers-in-arms with whom I've had the good fortune to play and record on countless projects over the years. I'm so happy and SO fortunate that they wanted to come on board.

Allow me to introduce them: on the drums, from Warri, Nigeria (via Johannesburg) will be the mighty MIGHTY Daniel Isele a.k.a D.i ! ; On bass, from Bophelong, Gauteng,  South Africa, will be the incomparable Mbuyisello "Jimmy" Mngwandi; and last but not least, on Sabar, Djembe and percussion, from Dakar Senegal via Harlem, my old friend and long time touring companion, Mar Gueye.

This is just the beginning, but what a start! So I'll leave it here for now. But there are BIG THINGS and BIG MUSIC coming and we want you all to be along for the ride. So check back here on the website soon or better still, sign up  for updates about the recording project, pre-orders of the album and show announcements! Seriously this is going to be, to quote D.i, "EPIC!!!" Until then

Uxolo

Mthakathi - The Band!

Help me win an IMA Nomination!

HELP ME WIN AN IMA NOMINATION!

Hey there my ever lovin Safro-Rockers! I've decided to take another crack at the INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS this year and could really use all your help getting nominated! I've submitted 3 songs:

• For A Whistle in the Social Action category;
• Flat Earth in the Social Action and World Beat categories:
• Jozi in the World Beat and Video categories

Please click on the IMA logo above and it will take you to the page with all of my entries. In order to nominate me, you will have to create an ID and password but it's quick, painless and free!

I can't do this without you guys. For years I have ended all of my shows by thanking everybody for "encouraging my behavior" and more importantly, for supporting *independent* artist-owned music. Now is yourchance to really step up and show your support as a superfan! You have my thanks and undying gratitude in advance!

Uxolo

Mthakathi

All Filters Off

For me, as a career muso, social media is first and foremost a necessary 21st c. promotional tool, the added benefit of course being the personal engagement component - a fluid, hybrid community of friends, family, acquaintances, fans and even approachable strangers with which to connect, have some fun and share info. Now I have "heart-on-my-sleeve" tendencies and I occasionally post an anthro-socio-political quip, meme or reply, but I've always been consciously measured about how far and deep I'd go with personal opinions and socio-political assertions; That is to say, I'm a songwriter, so I've always left the deeper stuff for the realm in which I feel more articulate - my songwriting. Until now.

I, like many of you, can plainly see the smoldering tinder and I think it's time to start screaming "FIRE!" and seek out the extinguishers wherever and whenever we can. I believe we are in human crisis writ large. I believe, as a species, we have breached our lease on this planet and it has begun the eviction process. I don't believe this is a mere swing of the socio-political pendulum and things will simply "come around" for us in time. I believe there are some dark and destructive forces at work - starting with the petrol economy and its predatory, oligarchic proponents - that need to be opposed and stopped if we're to survive as a species.

Now I have no illusions about my ability to rise above the social media din, nor about the extent of my impact on anyone's thinking. But I need to stay hopeful, and quiet reservation is surrender, and therefore simply not an option. So since I've been inspired of late to dial up the participatory-global-citizen burners in my daily life, that energy will naturally also be spilling out more and more onto my blogs and timelines (of course alongside my usual updates and tomfoolery). I will be civil as much as I can and strident when necessary. I will be receptive to, and sharing of, thoughtful, rational and sourced information/arguments. But I also will not be silent to ignorance, racism, injustice, intellectual dishonesty and general dumb-fuckery when I see it. And I stand utterly unapologetic.

If you think me melodramatic and unnecessarily alarmist, maybe I can change your mind. But if you just don't like what I have to say or share, you are perfectly free to ignore me or unfriend me or leave my fan club or boycott my music or all of the above. But still:

#IWillNotBeSilent

Safro-Rockin' for the ACLU!

Thanks to all who contributed to my little #pebbleintheshoe Bandcamp matching fundraising campaign for the ACLU Nationwide. CDs have been sent out (enjoy!) and along with them, a copy of the contribution receipt from the ACLU.

As an aside: I got a couple of angry "don't need your progressive, liberal, commie bullshit" comments from a couple of chuckle-heads because "we love our freedom and liberty here!" which is always a funny response since those are the very two things that this organization fights for. Oh sweet irony. Thanks again all.

#resist #loveanddefiance #amillionyearsofpeacetime

WOZA 2017

OK, so first of all, I want to wish us all a very Happy New Year and express a hearty "good fucking riddance" to sucky-ass 2016. In light of that last statement, I'd also like to respond to all of the heady, condescending literalists out there (lengthy post alert):
yes I'm well aware that the Gregorian demarcation of time is not a living breathing sentient entity, capable of causing all of the sad, disastrous, and spirit–crushing, events that have happened in this current unit of division.

Yes, I KNOW 2016 didn't kill Muhammad Ali, David Bowie, Prince, John Glenn, Leonard Cohen, Gene Wilder, Alan Rickman, Sharon Jones, Carrie Fisher, George Michael...*Alton Sterling, Philander Castile, Sandra Bland, Freddie Gray...
I KNOW 2016 isn't responsible for the horrific murderous attacks in Nice, Brussels, Istanbul, *Charleston*...

I KNOW 2016 did not cause the crises of humanity from all of the armed conflicts in Syria, Palestine, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, Mexico, Nigeria, Congo...
I KNOW that 2016 did not generate The record-breaking global mean temperature rises and Arctic sea ice shrinkage; nor any of the natural disasters – earthquakes in China, Italy, Chile, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea, the typhoon in the Philippines, the floods in, well fuck, everywhere...

I KNOW 2016 did not create the crisis of confidence and clashes between law-enforcement and people of color - police shootings of innocent civilians and civilian attacks on police; the inhumane treatment of water rights protectors at standing rock and the citizenry of Flint Michigan;

I KNOW 2016 didn't cause the unthinkable election of that petulant, rotten orange fuck-trumpet and the pending installation of a globally destructive, plutocratic cabal in his cabinet...

I KNOW all that.

So when I say good fucking riddance to sucky-ass 2016, I'm well aware that I'm referring to (with all apologies to Foucault for the reductionism) a perceptive frame within which all of this humanity diminishing shit happened. I'm using it as metonym. So lighten up with your haughty literalist put downs when I say, good riddance 2016. For the record, I am philosophically, a pacifist; but last night, after a lovely dinner (and a side-splitting, thoroughly entertaining 5 or so minutes of the Mariah Carey train wreck), I (figuratively) took 2016 down to the basement, beat the living shit out of it, stuffed it, deservedly battered and bloody, into a heavy duty contractor's trash bag, dragged it up the stairs and outside and threw it into the trash barrel, stomped it down and slammed the lid down on it. Then I went back inside and welcomed 2017 in the hope that it will be a "frame" for more positive events personally (like more time for maskanda on my Les Paul) and globally. Happy New Year everybody!!! And as always, a million years of peacetime!

RE-RELEASE OF THE HOLIDAY DIGITAL 45!

HO HO HO and HA LA LA! It's back!

Ukisimusi Omuhle! A South African Christmas Digital "45" is a festive two-song holiday offering from World Rock artist Mthakathi featuring South African singer Thuli Dumakude on the "A - side". The songs loosely interpret 2 popular Christmas carols - conveying the lyrical and emotional spirit of their western counterparts - while drawing on Southern African traditions for their musical character

Download it to your system or smart device, brew up a nice hot chocolate or a lovely rooibos and enjoy Christmas, South African style!

DOWNLOAD IT HERE!

THULI DUMAKUDE & MTHAKATHI - REUNITED FOR OFF-BROADWAY SHOW!

I'm so excited to announce that I'll be joining Sis Thuli Dumakude as we launch this holiday season concert series Off-Broadway from Nov 26 -Jan 1st. I'll be performing on stage with her and serving as musical director. Tickets are on sale now.  Make your plans and come join us for a joyous, celebratory, musical tonic for all of the ugliness and hatred we've all had to endure throughout this election season!

REUNITED!

If you've noticed a conspicuous absence of me performing in NYC of late, it's because I'm currently back working with Sis Thuli Dumakude to develop and launch a winter celebration concert series off broadway. Offical announcement coming straight away! I hope you'll all attend...this is going to be NCA!!!

Club Bonafide Show - TO BE RESCHEDULED

Hey there Safro-Rockers! There was an accidental scheduling mix up for my Nov 10th show at Club Bonafide so we're looking at new dates...probably February now. Sorry for any inconvenience but, ya know? Sometimes, this shit just happens. Stay tuned and we'll let you know when a new date is confirmed.

If anyone purchased tickets you can either contact the club directly for a refund, or just sit on them (the tix not the nice folks at the club) until we confirm a new date. They'll still be valid.

Thanks for understanding.

If you'd like a text update about this and other shows (as well as new music, etc.), join the "World Music On Jet Fuel" monthly message list! Text GETWMOJF to 444-999!

Siyabonga noxolo!

Mthakathi

New Album in the works!

Hi all, I know I haven't been very diligent about keeping up the news blog here but this year has pulled me in every direction - performing, recording and producing (others), engaging with new fans and forming new alliances. It has been, to use the cliche, a whirlwind. And frankly, it's not slowing down.

So I hope you'll forgive the absence of fanfare here, but I want to announce that I've begun pre-production on the new album. I'm making plans to involve all of you in the process if you'd like to come along for the ride.

I have to get back to being creative so I'm going to leave it here for now. There's much more to come. If you have not connected with the mailing list please do so. I'll be sending out updates soon.

Here's to 2016 and a million years of peacetime. See you all very soon.

Uxolo

Mthakathi