State Theatre youth choir to honour South Africa's musical heroes

The South African State Theatre presents uMculo wamaQhawe, a celebration of the country's musical heroes performed by the State Theatre Youth Choir under the direction of Mandla Ntlaks.

The production opens at the Malombo Theatre on Friday, 18 September at 19:00.

Its title translates as “the music of heroes”, and the production honours musicians and cultural figures whose work has shaped South Africa's social, political, cultural and economic life, tracing the journey from the struggle against apartheid to present-day realities.

Rather than a conventional choral concert, it combines original compositions, South African and African sounds, narration, storytelling, poetry and movement, with each section exploring a distinct musical era and its relationship to the society that produced it.

Music has long carried South Africa's history, accompanying resistance and liberation as much as celebration, mourning and community.

uMculo wamaQhawe draws on that inheritance while placing young performers at the centre of the retelling: through the Youth Choir, a new generation honours the artists who came before while claiming its own place in the country's musical landscape.

Led by Ntlaks, the concert is billed as a celebration of the collective power of African music and its capacity to preserve memory, connect generations and inspire communities, bringing heritage into conversation with the present.

Organisers describe an energetic, emotionally resonant evening of traditional music, choral performance, storytelling, poetry and movement, aimed at audiences across generations – families, young people, music lovers and cultural enthusiasts alike.