Nelson Mandela University Choir conductor Robert Gillmer leads the national anthem in closing Isisusa 2025
The University’s annual showcase – MMM … Isisusa! Jou Lekker Ding! – expanded its focus this year to draw together school choirs, an isiXhosa imbongi, a barbershop quartet, an impromptu jazz ensemble and a dash of Cape-style humour.
More than 140 performers filled the stage in a programme designed to echo the country’s diverse voices.
A poignant moment came in tribute to the late Gqeberha-born jazz legend Faya Faku, who died in Switzerland in June. Jazz quartet Moment’s Notice performed two of the internationally acclaimed flugelhorn player’s original works. Faku, a long-time mentor of young musicians, gave one of his final public performances at the 2024 Isisusa concert on the University’s Summerstrand Campus.
MC Ben “Boeta B” Baadjies
MC Ben “Boeta B” Baadjies kept the action flowing with quick-fire Cape-style humour while explaining how the concert reached across cultures to tell South African stories through music.
This year’s theme – “Mqhayi Meets Mandela” (MMM) – explored how isiXhosa poet S.E.K. Mqhayi helped shape Nelson Mandela’s sense of purpose through language and performance. Actor Mongezi Ncwadi brought this aspect of the Eastern Cape’s heritage alive with a powerful spoken-word rendering of Mqhayi’s epic verse under the direction of Xolisa Ngubelanga.
Rich harmonies from the host, Nelson Mandela University Choir, soared alongside the voices of high-school choirs from Curro Westbrook and Westering High School.
A few standout performances were traditional songs such as Bawo Thixo Amandla, Be the Change, Pata Pata and Baba Yethu, among many others.
“At Isisusa this year, multilingual voices and the energy of the Nelson Mandela University Choir and school choirs reminded us that music and poetry are a living heritage, connecting the wisdom of Mqhayi and Mandela with the creativity of today,” said University Choir conductor Robert Gillmer.
Spoken word from imbongi Mongezi Ncwadi
Men’s vocal quartet, The Creed, showcased their versatility, moving from Afrikaans numbers by Loukman Adams and Myne Grové to the sounds of Ladysmith Black Mambazo and a soulful rendition of Amazing Grace.
Under the artistic direction of Gillmer and Professor Alethea de Villiers, the Isisusa Jazz Fest Concert 2025 translated Heritage Month into a vibrant lived experience.
Work by the University’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee, the Communication and Marketing Division, the Bird Street Campus and Inner-city Stakeholders Forum, the Language Working Group, the Graduation and Institutional Culture Working Group shaped the celebration.
Through Isisusa, the University aims to keep building bridges between young talent and South Africa’s rich musical traditions.