Jane Mayne
Questions and Answers was Vusi Mahlasela’s first track release which welcomed his upcoming 2026 album, which he says signals something of a “creative rebirth focusing on emotional, spiritual, and social landscapes.”
The troubadour’s contemplative folk has long addressed social injustice and chronicled the nation’s journey with heartfelt songs that advocate for unity; and his showing on the Guitar Convergence bill on the Montreux Jazz Festival Franschhoek stage will undoubtedly encourage more reflection on pertinent issues of the day.
The singer-songwriter already has two Montreux Festivals under his belt, notably one was with Brazilian innovator Gilberto Gil; so, he is well-prepared for his appearance over the weekend of 27–29 March, 2026. The Winelands collaboration will be led by Billy Monama, and also features veteran guitarist Moss Mogale.
Kwela, marabi, Mgqashiyo, mbaqanga
The gig will air what Vusi calls his “accent of sound” on acoustic guitar: “Because I’m self-taught, I’ve developed my own technique and play with fingers. That’s when you hear this accent of Vusi Mahhasela. And of course, I’m more into a folkish sound, but I’m also open to quite a variety of styles. I play everything but also borrow quite a lot, so there’s kwela, to marabi, Mgqashiyo and mbaqanga, and more.”
Vusi plays a custom-made acoustic from Rockbridge Guitar Company, a high-end luthier based in Charlottesville, Virginia. “It’s a very good guitar with a big body, and has a great sound – it’s fit for Vusi Mahlasela! Dave Matthews came to one of my shows and came backstage. He asked what kind of guitar I was using and played it a bit and liked it – and now he’s got 12 of those guitars.”
Music from the North
Monana’s concept for the Montreux collaboration was to highlight what he calls ‘music from the North’. Pretoria-born Mahlasela fits the bill, even more so in light of him being such an influential legacy artist. Can he expand on the concept? “Well, maybe it’s better from the horse’s mouth, and Billy will be the one to explain it. But from the North there’s quite a lot of Bapedi rhythms, and then also as you go further you also get Malombo, which is the Philip Tabane sound you’re going to touch; and Lobedu music. We’ve got quite a variety of traditional styles.”
Popular music has undergone so many changes over the last few decades, is there still space for folk? “Oh, yes, we are living it. You go to functions, especially weddings and parties, and you hear quite a lot of folk music coming from the cultural side of those people. Some will play drum accompaniment and also bring other instruments like the kudu horn or whatever. Folk is about the people. It’s spiritual. It is about you – who you are. It symbolises the remnants of people and it’s very important that we have to understand that. Just like in Jamaica they understood their own typical sound, which is reggae.”
Healing and Reconciliation
Over time, Vusi (aka “The Voice”) has used his platform to foster healing and reconciliation, and his music still addresses themes of forgiveness and resilience. He calls this work muso-poetry. “Well, the subject matter is very important; that you educate, that you preach, but you also heal through those songs, depending on the subject matter that you’re talking about. It’s also about ironing out a lot of things and bringing hope.”
“It is like you are a doctor who diagnoses problems in the society, but you don’t come up with solutions. So, you put it out there through music and sing about the problems so that people should debate and come up with answers.”
Vusi also links his musical message to broader issues such as African food sovereignty, advocating for traditional diets and sustainable farming over genetically modified practices. So, it’s fitting that the second single from the new album translates to Tomato Stew’
“It’s all about food, and also about the language they use to make people blind when they say ‘food security’ – they secure that food and give us food that makes us sick so that different pharmaceutical (companies) can get money. And then even for the seeds you have to depend on them. So, it’s about dependency, but also the message that we need to go back into eating healthy and eating organic food. We’ve got solutions for everything on this planet that God has given us, so it is not only about food, it’s more about an agricultural revolution. It’s also a call for unity to fight poverty. Those are the subjects that I’ll be singing about – it will be poetry and music written in the sky.”
“In simple terms I’ll say that we’re fighting a spiritual warfare. Being positive and thinking positive, we can change this world. There is no need to accommodate fear. We need to be free souls, with open eyes and open ears, and just allow that spirit to flow to help us to enjoy life on this beautiful planet Earth that God has given us.”
“My message is a call for unity to fight poverty, but also to go back into eating healthy. There’s also another track called We Call on Peace because of what is happening right now. There are a lot of conflicts but why are solutions not coming? And why is peace so far away? Those are the kind of subjects that are on my new album. But we need to be hopeful that life will change for the better. Hope is difficult, but important. Everyone out there – please be hopeful, and the change will come.”
View the full festival line-up and book tickets.
What: Montreux Jazz Festival Franschhoek 2026 (MJFSA)
Who: Vusi Mahlasela interview
When is the Montreux Franschhoek Festival: 27 – 29 March 2026
Where: Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa
Website: http://www.mjfsa.com/
Instagram: @mjffranschhoek
Facebook: Montreux Jazz Festival Franschhoek
X (Twitter): @mjffranschhoek
TikTok: @montreuxjazzfestivalsa
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