Mbuso Khoza: Breathing the Arts, Perfecting His Craft in South Africa and Beyond

On 20 January, MDarkie Productions’ Induku – a local movie challenges gender norms while it portrays a gripping story of a quest for family unity and is characterised by stick fighting which is a common sport among the Zulu nation – began streaming on Showmax, and Mbuso Khoza known for his passion and love for heritage and history of our people was one of the cast members. The movie will be screening at Eshowe’s Aloe Lifestyle Hotel on 6 March 2022.

According to Khoza who cut his teeth into the creative and arts industry when he launched a jazz album back in 2012, and is no stranger to our small and big screens. The screening of this particular movie is a way to let in aspiring actors and actresses in the region who do not have the privileges of advancing their careers due to limited resources, into this space. The screening is expected to be attended by the Executive Mayor of Eshowe – Councillor TB Zulu on the day.

“Having been flighted, and not all accessible to everyone, I found this a great opportunity to expose these young women and men into what Induku is about, experience and feel it while we entertain them at the same time. This is an opportunity to present this game of stick fighting, which these kids may have not really been exposed to. They may know about it, they may have seen it, but not necessarily understand the significance thereof. It is a unifying sport in all respects, it is a way of escaping the reality of what we have to deal with on a day-to-day lifestyle. As a person dealing with mental health issues, it is time that we revert to our roots and empower the youngsters to have alternatives of dealing with the harsh realities of this world, and the purpose of this screening is to get them to engage and hopefully gain some insight into how to deal with the emotional imbalances that they may have,” said the Sonic Historian.

“If someone would have asked me if I’d ever see myself acting, I would probably have laughed. Music has always been my passion, and through same I got an opportunity to grasp my true calling. I have a curious mind, and what I learn I want to share. I am excited at how my career in the creative industry has evolved and continues to grow. It is a spiritual journey, and by appearing on screens, be it as an actor, singer, performer, or narrator at least one person gets some form of healing. That is what drives me to work even harder!”

As part of the screening programme, the patrons will be treated to some serenading sounds of the Afrikan Heritage Ensemble, Godla, Sanonji and Khoza himself. Immediately after the screening, Khoza will be jetting off to Europe on his tour with Swiss Trumpeter Matt Spiellman, which is a result of the recording that took place in 2021 when they collaborated on a project titled Matts Up. The tour will see the fusion of Amahubo and Western sounds to be performed in Germany and Switzerland. This is one of the initiatives Khoza is embarking on to raise funds to put into the establishment of the Khoza Institute aimed at unearthing and nurturing talents of aspiring artists in the Northern KZN region.

Keep updated with Khoza’s European show by keeping close to his social media updates.