Letoya Makhene, who recently launched multi-infused candles and Dlozi blankets, has announced that she will hold a musical concert called “Isithunywa Sam African Spirituality” on October 7th. In an interview with news reporters, the actress and sangoma explained that the concept of her concert is new and innovative.
“Its never been done before because we as abantwana be dlozi [children of ancestors] have never celebrated ourselves in this way before. It’s so easy to be able to go to any gospel concert, you can go and watch everyone coming together, praising their spiritual beliefs and we’ve never had a place or platform outside imgidi as izangoma [traditional healers] to celebrate ourselves,” she said.
Makhene said she took songs which are sung when healers were gathered and recorded them in studio, and that birthed the idea.
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“With the kind of music that I’m also veering into, which is your African spiritual music, it’s the type of songs that we sing imgidini [during ceremonies], it’s the traditional songs that we sing ma si gida [when we chant and dance] and it’s traditional ancient praise songs that we sing. I am recording an album of that sort and it started with the song Ngihawukele that I recorded a couple of years ago. I also decided to approach the State Theatre and asked them if they would be interested in giving me space to present a concert, and they came back to me with a positive answer, which is really shocking. So we are putting together a beautiful concert that will not only celebrate our African belief system but also Isthunywa [ancestral calling].
Explaining Isthunywa she said it’s the prophetic side of the gift of traditional healing.
“We don’t leave out anyone who feels that they are Christian. It’s not just for izangoma, it’s for anyone who wants to celebrate themselves as Africans, or anyone who wants to celebrate their heritage, know where they come from, understand who they are, connect with themselves and their bloodline and also for those who have the prophetic gift. It’s literally a concert where we can all come together and celebrate ourselves as healers.”
Makhene said they were still finalising artists on the line-up, however, her father and legendary musician, music producer and sangoma Blondie Makhene is billed to perform.