Take The Stage series presented by MTN: Mandla Mlangeni’s Tune Recreation Committee

V&A Waterfront Take the Stage series presented by MTN is a platform for emerging South African musicians and musical ensembles to showcase their talents at V&A Waterfront. Experience these emerging artists live for a series of pop-up performances starting November until the end of March 2022 which are free for all to attend.

“Led by the trumpeter Mandla Mlangeni, this alliance of young South African musicians delves into the country’s syncretic cultural heritage — then ventures beyond. You hear Balkan folk, American funk, West African high life, and South African free jazz. Most of all, you hear five bristling improvisers dancing together, modeling a kind of thoughtful communion.” New York Times

The formidable ensemble comprises some of Cape Town’s finest musicians with special appearance by Afrika Mkhize on piano. The TRC features Damian Kamineth on drums, Nicholas Williams on bass, Reza Khota on guitar, Mandla Mlangeni on trumpet. The unit has performed to rousing applause at the 18th annual Cape Town International Jazz Festival in 2018. With numerous headline performances such as the Sauti Za Busara Festival (Zanzibar), Safaricom Jazz (Kenya), Bassline Fest, Arts Alive, Bushfire Fest (eSwatini) Sakifo (Reunion Island) and The World Economic Forum hosted in Cape Town 2019. The Cape Town –based TRC takes original tunes and reinvents nods from their influences to embracing vibrant underground music scene of drum and bass to Balkanology. Fusing imported sounds and exporting to their own flavour, either going into a Ghoema -tinged feel or just improvising around the melody.