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Twenty years ago, folk-singer, world-troubadour and widely celebrated poet-activist Vusi Mahlasela recorded his first album, When You Come Back. The title track instantly became an anthem in South Africa and Vusi soon became known as “The Voice” as his country fought hard to end the brutal Apartheid regime that had divided the country since 1948. In celebration of twenty years, ATO Records will release SING TO THE PEOPLE in January. The album was recorded live in Johannesburg at Vusi’s 20th Anniversary show of When You Come Back. …looking back on twenty years… Vusi grew up in the Mamelodi township, just outside of Pretoria, where he still resides. As Vusi tells it, he grew up a happy kid and was blind to the injustices in his country. His grandmother operated a Shebeen behind their home. Due to the cultural boycott inflicted by Apartheid, black South African music was hard to come by and was banned from being played on the radio. So, they played American records in the pub. James Brown. Motown. The Commodores. And whatever South African and African recordings they could find: Mahotella Queens, Mahlatini Queens, Miriam Makeba, Dark City Sisters, Fela Kuti. Young Vusi and his neighborhood friends formed a little band of their own and started making music of their own, inspired by the recordings they heard wafting out of the Shebeen. Vusi built his first guitar from fishing line and a cooking oil can and taught himself how to play. In 1976, Vusi’s political education began as he witnessed the devastating massacre of more than 200 black South Africans in the Soweto Uprising. Vusi responded through his music, inspiring other musicians and listeners around him.
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