Puoane returns home to celebrate Mashile's poetry through jazz

RENOWNED jazz vocalist and Pretoria native Tutu Puoane is set to grace stages across South Africa with her much-anticipated tour, showcasing her current project, Wrapped In Rhythm.

- ANITA NKONKI

Puoane reveals that this award-winning double album is a heartfelt homage to the evocative poetry of South African poet and activist Lebo Mashile, featuring a unique blend of jazz, soul, and singer-songwriting that resonates with audiences both locally and internationally.

Since relocating to Antwerp, Belgium, in 2005, Puoane explains that she has found herself profoundly inspired by Mashile's anthology, In A Ribbon Of Rhythm.

For nearly a decade, the book accompanied her, stirring emotions that encapsulated her experiences as a young black African woman navigating her identity amidst the complexities of living away from her homeland.

"Ten years ago, this book had me in a chokehold. I often find things about my country so difficult to express; it all feels so strange after being gone from home for so long, and yet I still hold a very deep connection to the land and people. The poems of Lebo helped me feel and express things I couldn't express myself."