South Africa’s legendary musician Sipho Hotstix Mabuse is set to perform at Mascom Live Sessions at Botswana Craft on August 25th. Mabuse’s performance will mark the 37th session of the live music event which has hosted some of the greatest musicians from here in Botswana, Africa, and the rest of the world.
The announcement of Mabuse’s performance triggered memories of one of my most embarrassing moments in life which involved the late Ray Phiri. I met Ray backstage at some concert back in the day and I said to him, ‘I really love that song of yours called Burn Out.’ To which he calmly replied, ‘sorry my boy, that’s Sipho Hotstix Mabuse’s song.’ Burn Out has stood out as one of my all-time favorite hits.
“We are thrilled to be starting our spring line up for Mascom Live Sessions with the Legendary Sipho Hotstix Mabuse alongside our local talented ATI,” says a statement from the organizers, Botswana Craft.
Sipho Mabuse has been working in the music industry for decades and created hits like Jive Soweto, and Shikisa among others. “He is one of Africa’s living legends in the music industry and it’s such an honor to host him at Botswana craft.”
Mabuse will be performing alongside local hit maker ATI who has just released a new album, ‘Envelop’, featuring the popular single “Khiring Khiring Khorong”. He has previously performed at Mascom Live Session when he opened for Bongo Maffin at their sold out reunited gig in May 2014. “ATI always brings his passion and imagination to the stage,” Botswana Craft says. DJ Robbie Rob is also scheduled to play on the night.
Born in Johannesburg in 1951, Mabuse began playing the drums from the age of 8 ÔÇô the instrument that he would master to such an extent that he quickly gained the nickname ‘Hotstix’.
He began his career as a professional musician at the age of 15 when, during his high school years, he formed his first band The Beaters. The Beaters evolved to become Harari, one of the most successful acts that dominated the music scene of the 1970’s in South Africa. A highlight in their more than decade long career came in 1978 when the group was invited to perform in the USA with Hugh Masekela. During the tour, the band’s leader Selby Ntuli died, leaving Sipho as the new front man. Harari supported and backed Percy Sledge, Timmy Thomas, Letta Mbula, Brook Benton and Wilson Pickett on their South African tours. This eclectic ensemble was impossible to categorize; mixing funk and disco with jazz, while also using traditional African instruments to create a completely unique sound that many tried, but failed to imitate.
They were the ultimate party band, yet boasted some of the best musicians around at the time, such as Alec Khali and Lionel Petersen. One of South Africa’s most important musical acts ÔÇô Harari will forever hold legendary status ÔÇô even after their split in 1982. In 1996, after a ten-year sabbatical, Mabuse returned with the album Township Child, an album that brought him back into the musical forefront. A number of albums followed, including two live albums in 2005 and 2006, both captured the spirit of what makes every Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse performance great. In fact, throughout the course of Mabuse’s near 50-year career, he has become a musical ambassador for South Africa, performing in virtually every country in Africa and touring to places such as the United States, England, France, Germany and Italy as well as a host of others. He has also recorded and produced many legendary artists such as Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Ray Phiri and Sibongile Khumalo. Short biography (hotstix.co.za)
