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Ecaleni Sessions, 196 Nyoni Street Ecaleni Session, Thembisa (2026)

16/11/2021

It is with great regret that we have to postpone our second edition. We will see you soon. Look out for the new date!! We will always

08/11/2021

The birth of Rock N Roll in the 50s came as a direct result of rhythm and blues. When we think of the first rock stars, the names Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and the Beatles flood our minds, but it was Little Richard and Chuck Berry who have allowed Rock and Roll to breath in the community that actually started it. It is Jimi Hendrix’s crazy guitar playing that has allowed for the existence of Nkabi Rock band Shameless SA. This trio from Soweto fuses modern and traditional South African music with loud distorted electric guitar to create community-driven “tribal Rock and Roll Music.” Comprising of Musa Zwane on lead guitar, Thabang Khonje on bass guitar and Thabo "Rock" Masina on drums, the band was formed in 2017. Their original composition Impicabadla was recorded in 2018 and they won the 2019 Afropunk battle of the bands allowing them to play amongst international acts Solange Knowles (US), Miguel (US) and NAO (UK). Other artists included Nigerian singer Burna Boy and southern African acts Sjava, Urban Village, Busiswa, Distruction Boyz, Sho Madjozi, Zoë Modiga and Morena Leraba, When asked by Afropunk to give a short description of their music their response was, cross-genre — it is a fusion between metal, rock, maskandi, punk, kwaito and blues. Much like the slaves on cotton farms call and response spirituals that inspired blues music, Shameless’s sound aims to convey messages of freedom while including their everyday experiences. Their sound is fueled by their upbringing with memories of the music they grew up listening to. They were featured in a converse Advertisement and have played ,
Sawubona Music Jam, Soweto Theatre, Rumours Rock City, Other Concepts space, DiscoverTV, ColonyArms, Smoking Dragon festivals, Victors camp festivals, Soweto camp
festival, Smoking dragon Activation party ,The BEAT. We can’t wait for Ecaleni sessions to be showered by Shameless Band!!! Because if it ain’t RocknRoll Don’t Play It!!!

05/11/2021

Tembisa, once known by its early inhabitants as Vuka’Uzyenzele when translated into English, wake up and do it for yourself. Much like the stop at nothing to achieve something mentality Tembisans adopted as a reaction to the conditions created by the Apartheid regime. The story of L8 ANTIQUE is one of perseverance and triumph. A three piece band that encapsulates the cultural diversity of South Africa through a musical style called Shugumisa.

Formed in 2007 in a township that is not foreign to the struggle of our people, Alexandra. They have since shared stages with Kwani Experience, The Brother Moves on, Thandiswa Mazwai and Vusi Mahlasela.

L8 ANTIQUE has been described as the evolution of African culture in an upbeat society. They have played Jazz on the lake, Standard bank Joy of Jazz and Arts Alive. Their sound transcends genre. Voted as the number one band in 2011 by Gauteng Sport, Art, culture and recreation. Their music was featured on a documentary called Somehow different and World South. L8 ANTIQUE were Semifinalists at the Afropunk battle of the bands and their music was featured on an award winning Ballet campaign. Catch this amazing collective at Ecaleni session

03/11/2021

If one thing Tembisa can pride itself in is the array of quality musicians it produces. The legacy of Moses Molelekwa lives on through his successors. Those who use the power of music not simply to entertain but also as a form of protest art. The simultaneous pressing of strings against a guitar fret balanced against his melodic sombre tone has the ability to place any audience before him, into a hypnotic state.Hailing from the home of the Kudu horn, makeyana and reed flute, with a Lubombo plateau and rich biological diversity. Donald Thobela also known as KINGDON, is an AFROBLUES, guitarist, singer songwriter that descends from the Kingdom of Swaziland, raised in multicultural South Africa. The cross genre between traditional Swati Folk music and Blues rock heard in his playing stems from the inspiration he draws from his African roots, emulated by the indigenous sounds of Bholoja Mbongiseni Ngubane and multi-platinum singer, song writer Tracy Chapman. His journey with music began in church which can be heard in his trance like rhythm paired together with a call and response spiritual chant. With over ten years of performing experience, His music has found itself on stages like House on Fire in Swaziland, Green Festival, MANHATTAN HOTEL, C***S GRASS DRUMMING CIRCLE, COOLZ, SINK SHARK and Tweenfonteinmelkery. KINGDON has OPENED FOR ALGERIAN ARTIST AKLI D, music icon, selaelo selota, SAMA AWARD WINNING BAND MANGO GROOVE as well as his musical idol Bhologa. Some of his notable accolades include first prize at the tilt bar competition and performance of the year Sawwubona music jam

01/11/2021

As is the Mixture of culture in Xubeni section, PG13 is the combination of poetry and music. The connection between eclectic sound. Founded by three girls with six strings on the principles of rhythm, melody, and harmony. With youthful rhythms accompanied by ancient grooves tied together by the harmonies of tomorrow, their sound is not jazz nor is it Rock n roll it is where those rivers meet balancing on a tight rope of Maskandi. PG_13 is the old defining the new, transcending time and truth in the present through the spirits of the tellers of folklore and the keepers of wisdom. They are a melting pot of History and experience looking to spark a new narrative. The renegades, rule breaker, radical yet robust expressionists, breaking boundaries of thought in aims to create a global echo that the masses can relate to. Formed in 2015, PG_13 has performed at Soweto Theatre. The 2018/19 Smoking Dragon New Year’s Eve festival, Joburg theatre. Fete de la musique,The SABC, Bassline and the French Alliance. The PE Opera House and Grahamstown Arts Festival Rockwood theatre,In 2020, they were invited by the African Union to be part of their Africa Educates Her campaign, while also warming up virtual stages on SHOW4ME.LIVE and Pick me up poetry. They have been featured on Power FM, Cliff central, Impulse Radio, Kaya FM, Tembisa News, Kempton Express, Daily Sun, Blue Couch and Vision View Sport Radio. This ensemble from the East of Gauteng creates music that calls your soul to dance while addressing the socio-economic issues Society is in constant battles with, through off beat time signatures and E-minor progressions. PG_13 is a collection of multidisciplinary artistic works with its emphasis being the culmination of poetry and music. They consider themselves in rotating communication between the spiritual and physical realm through song and dance and highly acknowledge the importance of parental guidance... Ecaleni sessions welcomes Art collective PG13

25/10/2021

The early 90s was a very uncertain time for our country. Tembisa became infamous for its violence. A time where gangsterism was disguised as activism. In every war there are casualties and it is through poetry that Nomfundo Khambule resuscitates the victims that have been left as body bags. Born in Tembisa, she is a TedX speaker, writer, spoken word artist and theatre performer. She studied poetry and drama at the University of Johannesburg, her worlds have travelled off pages finding their way to the, Galaxy Universal Network, Tedx, the Human rights festival at Constitution Hill and the Nelson Mandela centenary. Her work has travelled beyond boarders both virtually and physically. Khambule has performed in South Africa, Nigeria, Zambia and Botswana. She was also part of the theatre production Kwatio in slaghuis. Khumule writes for black woman, for gender equality, for political transformation. She is inspired by the stories of black people in small communities, she writes for the marginalized. Like a tropical storm her performances draws energy from its surroundings, we are excited to have the heavy winds of Khabule’s words on Ecaleni Sessions stage.

23/10/2021

Artist announcement 2: Ecaleni Sessions with Sasta Kuppan

We are a series of undocumented truths waiting to be documented. We are untold stories waiting for a page to land on. Such a truth and such a story is, South African poet, author and entrepreneur Sasta Kuppan. From an early age, she put pen to paper, taking the leap into open mic performances through Writer’s Bloc International, which led to national performances on various stages. She has performed on Gauteng radio stations, and several local and international shows, including the Hear My Voice Poetry Relief Fund Webseries and the Wicked Festival 2021 in Berlin, broadcasting her poetry to an expansive audience. In 2018, her poetry – penned through various periods in her life – was published in her collection “Flaws and all’’
As an independently published author, Sasta ventured further into the world of literature, first joining Chasing Dreams Publishing as the Poetry Curator in June of 2019, and in July of 2020, she was appointed Director in the business. Sasta has contributed to projects and productions such as On Cue Magazine, Homegrown-Radio's Homegrown Unplugged, Wanchaza Wealth Connections, Chat and Spin Radio in the UK, Appreciate a Mosali, a documentary by Nokuthula Media featured at the Rapid Lion Film Festival 2021, as well as the More Than Enough video series campaign by We Are Becoming, the latter of which highlight the strength that can be found in owning your divine femininity and how to live authentically in your story. Sasta works closely with other creatives to empower them on their journey, but also to address difficult issues with beauty, compassion and understanding. We welcome onto the Ecaleni sessions stage another Q U E E N.
It is an act of strength to tell your story, it is an act of great power to create spaces for others to tell theirs.

23/10/2021

We are a series of undocumented truths waiting to be documented. We are untold stories waiting for a page to land on. Such a truth and such a story is, South African poet, author and entrepreneur Sasta Kuppan. From an early age, she put pen to paper, taking the leap into open mic performances through Writer’s Bloc International, which led to national performances on various stages. She has performed on Gauteng radio stations, and several local and international shows, including the Hear My Voice Poetry Relief Fund Webseries and the Wicked Festival 2021 in Berlin, broadcasting her poetry to an expansive audience. In 2018, her poetry – penned through various periods in her life – was published in her collection “Flaws and all’’
As an independently published author, Sasta ventured further into the world of literature, first joining Chasing Dreams Publishing as the Poetry Curator in June of 2019, and in July of 2020, she was appointed Director in the business. Sasta has contributed to projects and productions such as On Cue Magazine, Homegrown-Radio's Homegrown Unplugged, Wanchaza Wealth Connections, Chat and Spin Radio in the UK, Appreciate a Mosali, a documentary by Nokuthula Media featured at the Rapid Lion Film Festival 2021, as well as the More Than Enough video series campaign by We Are Becoming, the latter of which highlight the strength that can be found in owning your divine femininity and how to live authentically in your story. Sasta works closely with other creatives to empower them on their journey, but also to address difficult issues with beauty, compassion and understanding. We welcome onto the Ecaleni sessions stage another Q U E E N.
It is an act of strength to tell your story, it is an act of great power to create spaces for others to tell theirs.

23/10/2021

Artist announcement 1: Ecaleni sessions with .piine

The story of Tembisa is oral in form, the story of Tembisa is in most parts unwritten, it belongs to our mouths, it belongs on our tongues within our lungs. Like Tembisa’s story, After All Amputations her Voice Remains.Ashley Moyo a Kempton Park based storyteller who found her ministry in words through poetry and Public Speaking. Her writing embodies stories that aid as healing.Her poetry has been heard on various stages such as TEWOP stage , The South African International Institute of Affairs (SAIIA) as well as the most recent Model United Natioms forum held in New York City in 2020.Her body of work ceases to outlive time. Ecaleni sessions is excited to Announce this Queen as one of its headline acts...

18/10/2021

If we were to examine a line or two that best describes our host we would borrow from William Shakespeare and quote ‘All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players.’ was presented to us through poetry and film at . She is the founder of Tembisa film club that aim to make film more accessible, creative producer at Platform and assistant production coordinator of Olive Tree theatre. Vuyo is very passionate about the theatre spaces and how to tell stories that can resonate with her community. Ecaleni sessions is delighted to announce VuyoMSkepe as our host.

14/10/2021

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