Thokoza in I Sing For Freedom

Five women, all South African and African American with an average age of 62 and a total of over 130 years of singing experience among them, will sing acapella, the music they love most and has made them feel most free. This is a concert experience mixed with the stories of their life experiences.

Thokoza, which means CELEBRATION in Zulu, is conceived and directed by actress Thuli Dumakude, born in Lamontville, Durban in 1949. Thuli acted internationally in plays such as Rafiki, Poppie Nongena, and Bongi to name a few. She played KaMadonsela (Lady Macbeth) in Welcome Msomi’s Umabatha in South Africa and abroad, and featured as a soloist in the movies Cry Freedom, Power of One and Serengeti for Imax Theatre. On Broadway in NYC Thuli was the vocal coach for Sarafina and Sheila’s Day. Currently Thuli is working with 20 rural women in the village of Galibasi in Muden (KZN) doing beadwork. Part of the proceeds from the international sales of the beadwork will go to AIDS organizations in South Africa.