Who We Are at Mmaletsatsi Productions
THOBEKILE MBANDA “NTOMB’YELANGA”
- -Bandleader
- -Guitarist
- -Vocalist
- -Storyteller
-Indigenous instruments maker and player-Indigenous knowledge systems and spirituality researcher
Thobekile Mbanda (Ntomb’Yelanga) is a conceptual artist, community activist, poet, and storyteller and uses music as her medium and muse. Centering her work around the preservation, promotion, and development of indigenous instruments music fuels her current project, Songs of our Ancestors. Among her trajectory of creative pursuits: in 2014 Mbanda wrote and produced while in Barbados a play about Princess Magogo the Rise of A Star. She has worked for Art for Humanity as Project Manager her projects focusing around using art to raise awareness around and about Social Justice issues and has performed locally and internationally and is constantly developing her repertoire for working with young people and the intersection of music, learning, decolonization, and freedom. Her aim is to focus on the exploration of Non-Western cultural music, knowledge systems, knowledge of the instruments songs and dances with the idea of presenting it back to the community. Exploration of ancient sounds – how sound (ingoma) is a language, a memory and a dream we bring to life through intergenerational connections and sound dialogue and venture into the role of the body as a living archive of these sounds.
Ntomb’Yelanga NaBalimi
Ntomb’Yelanga NaBalimi we focus on the exploration of Non-Western cultural music, knowledge systems, knowledge of the instruments songs and dances with the idea of presenting it back to the community. Exploration of ancient sounds – how sound (ingoma) is a language, a memory and a dream we bring to life through intergenerational connections and sound dialogue and venture into the role of the body as a living archive of these sounds. Our music is created from a series of questions that we pose to ourselves in hope to answer through song, such as how do we create and distribute these knowledge systems? for our lives cannot be sustained without spiritual core -claiming or rediscovering lost Afrikan wisdom lost land and lost instruments etc. What is our spiritual wealth as Afrikans? how do we engage in nation healing through sound and traditional instruments creating a soundscape that connects us with our ancestors
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Ntomb’Yelanga NaBalimi
All the Instruments sold at Mmaletsatsi Productions are made by local artists all independent and great at their skill set.
These artists work is about preservation of indigenous instruments through production and education through workshops for schools, individuals and corporations.
- Ntomb'Yelanga specialize in bow instruments, Zulu drums and percussions
- Matake specializes in mbiras, djembes and xylophones
- Luyolo Lenga specializes in unbraced and mouth bows.
- Frank The Artist specializes in clay works namely the udu.
- Mabeleng specializes in all types of shakers.
Contact Us if you'd like to book for workshops.
Umnombo wohambo laKwantu
Recent Noteworthy Performances:
-DUT – an LGBTQI+ Awareness campaign-Art for Humanity
– Artist Talk Series
- Umnombo-Durban ICC Legotla Conference
-The Chairman
-Retro Bazaar at Phansi Museum
-Moses Mabhida Staduim
– Pan Afrikan Conference-Sutton Park
– Black Sundays Afrikan Market