UKZN’s African Music Project Celebrates the Life and Legacy of Poet Laureate Mazisi Kunene
The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) African Music Project (AMP) recently hosted a vibrant end-of-semester Lunch Hour Concert in honour of South Africa’s first Poet Laureate, Professor Mazisi Kunene.
The event was a powerful fusion of storytelling, music, and dance, celebrating Kunene’s enduring legacy and his contribution to Zulu culture, language, and identity.
Dr Miranda Young, Discipline Leader for Music and Drama Performance, welcomed guests with enthusiasm, expressing pride in celebrating one of UKZN’s distinguished alumni.
“It is a great pleasure to celebrate an alumnus of this institution. We are very proud to be honouring Professor Mazisi Kunene and celebrating his legacy,” said Young.
The event was inspired by a request from Mrs Mathabo Kunene to Dr Patricia Opondo to make use of materials from the Mazisi Kunene collections. Opondo tasked the African Music and Dance (AMD) Performance Skills lecturers – Mr Mfundiseni Ndwalane, Ms Nozuko Nguni, Mr Thabiso Zondo and Mr Ernest Zondo – with creating a special production. Members of the Kunene family and the Mazisi Kunene Foundation attended and expressed gratitude to the AMD staff and students for the moving tribute.
The show was opened by African Music and Dance (AMD1) class led by Ndwalane, who explained that the performance was rooted in the class’s unique “class theatre methodology.”
“Our module aims to develop students’ existing knowledge in singing, dancing, and storytelling. We use performance to tell stories – in this case, the story of Professor Mazisi Kunene,” Ndwalane said.
Born in Durban to Eva Kunene (née Ngcobo), a teacher, and Mdabuli Albert Kunene, a labourer, Kunene began his literary journey early. He started writing poetry and short stories in isiZulu during childhood, and by age 11, his work was already appearing in local newspapers. He later earned a Bachelor of Arts in isiZulu and History and a master’s degree in isiZulu Poetry from the then-University of Natal, now UKZN.
Through Maskandi, Umzansi, and Gumboot dances taught by Nguni, Zondo and Zondi, the concert beautifully reflected Kunene’s mission to preserve and promote Zulu culture and language. Performers used traditional amaZulu movements to embody the depth of his poetry and his activism.
“We use amaZulu dances to symbolise Professor Kunene’s deep-rootedness in culture. We sing to rejoice and appreciate his role in preserving our heritage through poetry. We stomp, slap, and clap our gumboots as rhythmic codes – to communicate and remember how he stood firm as an anti-apartheid activist,” said Opondo.
The audience was moved by a series of emotionally charged pieces, including a song about family members fighting over inheritance, carrying a strong moral message that people should work for their livelihoods rather than quarrel over possessions. Another standout performance focused on empowering women, allowing female performers to embody strength and confidence traditionally associated with masculinity – a symbolic gesture of equality through art.
Commenting on the event, Opondo, Director of AMD, praised the concert as an important cultural moment for both students and the university.
She said: “This celebration goes beyond performance – it reflects how the arts can educate, preserve heritage, and inspire social consciousness. Honouring Professor Kunene through music and dance reminds us that education is not just about knowledge, but about connecting with our cultural roots and history,”
The concert concluded with loud applause and dancing from the audience – a fitting tribute to a man whose words, rhythm, and cultural activism continue to resonate deeply within South African society.
Words: Sinoyolo Mahlasela
Photographs: Supplied
