Guitar maestro Billy Monama is celebrating two decades in the music industry with a special one-night-only “Back To The Future” concert, which is set to take place at the Joburg Theatre on Saturday, February 4.
Monama told IOL Entertainment that “Back To The Future” is no ordinary concert, it’s a never to be missed musical experience.
“This is a concert that is set to restore hope, heal broken spirits, revisit the history and reconnect us with our musical heritage in order to give us a new soundtrack that will carry us into the future as a nation.”
Monama said he will be taking fans on his musical journey, dating back to early 2000, when he burst into the limelight as young musician.
“I’m an author now, so I’m bringing all my experience in the industry, the research I did for my book (“Introduction to South African Guitar Styles Vol. 1. Five Decades of Ukuvamba 1930s–1980s” and the music from the 1900s, that has not been played from the 1900s. I’ll be taking the audience from the era to now.
“The concert has segments; there’s a love corner, after all, February is a month of love, we have Black Consciousness, we’re going to perform the music from the 1960s.
“We also have the Afrocentric section, we just want to bring back that consciousness into the Africans … as much as things are evolving, still have to need to celebrate being African.”
Monama will feature music powerhouse Brenda Mtambo, who will be paying homage to all the women of South Africa, the likes of Miriam Makeba, Busi Mhlongo and Dorothy Masuku.
“I call them imbokodo … they are the rocks of this country. They are the ones that sang against the apartheid system … the songs they wrote and performed, kept South Africa dancing through difficult times. So we want to honour them for their great contribution to this country.”
Monama said he will be releasing a seven-track EP “Y Factor” in February, which features music sensation Langa Mavuso and upcoming artist, Ratshepe Makhene, from Soweto.
“Back To The Future” will take place at the Joburg Theatre on Saturday, February 4. Tickets are available for R200 at Webtickets.