Thandiswa Mazwai's flame burns brighter than ever at the CTIJF
Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2025
Thandiswa Mazwai captures audience with powerful performance at CTIJF.
Image: Armand Hough
Thandiswa Mazwai, one of South Africa's most influential post-Apartheid singers, lit up the Kippies stage on the final night of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival last night at the CTICC.
The audience was mesmerised by Mazwai's transformative performance - part concert, part ritual and entirely unforgettable.
She carries South African culture wherever she goes, and last night was no different as she sizzled on stage.
The liberation struggle forms part of Thandiswa Mazwai's strong vocal messages on stage. On the screen behind her at the CTIJF is a visual of struggle icon, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
Image: Armand Hough/Independent Newspapers
As the clock ran down towards the start of Mazwai's set, countless fans began to fill up the Kippies venue and multiple generations of fans waited in eager anticipation as Mazwai made her way to the stage.
As she began her set, the room illuminated with blue lighting and the crowds went wild.
The crowd was left speechless as Thandiswa Mazwai delivered an emotional performance on the struggle for freedom at the CTIJF last night.
Image: Armand Hough
Mazwai's first song had the crowd on their feet, and they soon started to serenade her with her own lyrics. This moment of fan interaction was a testament to the importance of longevity in the music industry – Mazwai has created a strong community of fans over the years.
Through Mazwai's performance, it was clear that Kwaito music as a genre still has a strong following in South Africa, despite the growth of other genres such as hip-hop and amapiano in recent years.
Mazwai owns the stage with powerful, bold and commanding vocals. She shared on stage that the music she made it was not only for herself but for others to also find an expression in this world.
Her performance was more than just entertainment, it was ceremonial and thought-provoking weaving African identity, liberation and spirituality. The crowd, old and young, were in awe of her shamanistic aura, with a lot of audience interaction throughout the performance.
Inspired by a post-apartheid South Africa, she began her career in 1996 with bands such as Jack-Knife and Bongo Maffin. Mazwai also became influential in the genre of Kwaito, creating six award-winning albums with Bongo Maffin.
Her first solo project was released in 2004, titled Zabalaza. With this release, Mazwai began taking her first steps in what would become a very successful career as a solo artist.
Zabalaza achieved double platinum status and won numerous awards, including a Kora Award for Best African Female Artist and four South African Music Awards. Mazwai’s latest album, Sankofa, was released in 2024.
The album includes songs produced by Meshell Ndegeocello and Nduduzo Makhathini, and features collaborations with Thandi Ntuli and Tendai Shoko. In what can only be described as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, Thandiswa showcased multiple songs from Sankofa, which fans thoroughly enjoyed.