Edward Tsumele

Edward Tsumele

I have seen Letta Mbulu perform at a couple of shows, the last time being last year at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

And each time Mbulu performs she blows my mind.

She is skilful and her lyrics are meaningful since they constitute clever social commentary. The lyrics are also prophetic.

I cannot help thinking about Not Yet Uhuru, a song that dissects the social structure of our society and predicts that the destruction of apartheid would not herald full freedom for the majority of the people in the country.

The song was recorded early in our democracy and at the time nobody could have predicted that what she said would one day become a reality as it has now.

What with the recent spate of xenophobic destruction that some have explained within the context of high poverty levels in informal settlements.

The poor had to find a scapegoat for their poverty and, according to some theorists, foreigners became easy targets in order to attract the attention of the authorities

It is these poor people in squatter camps that Mbulu sings about in Not Yet Uhuru. But she does not say they should attack foreigners. It simply says that there cannot be true freedom when people still live in squatter camps.

It is against this background that Mbulu is performing at the Birchwood Hotel, a concert that is bound to attract many concert-goers.

For those familiar with Not Yet Uhuru, it would not be unreasonable to expect her to render Not Yet Uhuru on Friday. It is likely to resonate with a number of people after recent experiences.

Though personally I like it when Mbulu performs with her husband Caiphus Semenya, this time around, she will have young musician Aya opening the proceedings for her.