Thobile Makhoyane set to showcase ‘Tribute to the Source’

MBABANE-Local musician Thobile Makhoyane is set to stage a musical theatre production, titled ‘Tribute to the Source’, on November 5 at the Mbabane Theatre Club.

Created by Thobile Makhoyane, the performance project pays tribute to the elders who served as traditional custodians of the instrument. The title derives inspiration from legendary musician Smiles Makama’s album ‘The Source’, bringing awareness to the Smilophone an instrument Makama invented and used to create the album.

It was Makama who first introduced Thobile to Makhoyane music. Addressing the vision behind the production, Thobile Makhoyane noted that whenever she encounters people, she is often asked about what the instrument carries; this showcase aims to shine a light on the rich heritage and musical depth embedded within the Makhoyane.

The production is structured as a musical and movement piece centered around the traditional Makhoyane bow. To bring the work to life, Makhoyane has invited fellow artists Sibonisiwe Dlamini who recently showcased her ‘Finding My Voice’ play at the Mbabane Theatre Club, Zandile Malinga and Nono to feature in the performance.

Reflecting on the scale of the production, Makhoyane revealed that constraints affected the initial setup. “The plan was to have eight characters in the creative industry, but the budget did not allow,” she stated.

Sibonisiwe Dlamini and Zandile Malinga will be part of the play.

In addition to honoring the traditional bow, the showcase pays homage to Makama’s Smilophone a purely Swati invention that combines different tones of the Makhoyane into a unified instrument.

Thobile Makhoyane is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer. She is widely recognized for her role in preserving and modernizing traditional Swati soundscapes.

Her musical style melds vocal harmonies and indigenous instruments most notably the traditional Makhoyane musical bow with contemporary performance practices, studio arrangements, and global musical influences. Over her career, she has performed across traditional cultural gatherings and international collaborative platforms, including the MTN Bushfire CollaboNation project. Through her multidisciplinary stage work and recording projects, Makhoyane continues to champion endangered traditional instruments while introducing younger audiences to Swati cultural heritage.

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