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The Rhodes University Chamber Choir (RUCC) will tour KwaZulu-Natal from 17 to 24 August 2025, presenting a programme deeply rooted in African musical traditions and social engagement.
Comprising approximately 60 choristers, mainly students, the RUCC does more than simply sing. It reaches into the heart of communities through music, seeking connection, reflection, and shared purpose.
“This tour is not just a performance itinerary – it is a commitment to meaningful exchange,” says acclaimed conductor Sibusiso Njeza.
The choir is set to deliver music workshops in schools, as well as community centres. Throughout the tour, it will offer interactive encounters with choral music.
“These workshops are designed not only to teach music but to foster expression, confidence, and creative thinking. Each session becomes a space where music serves as a language of resilience and imagination,” added Njeza.
The RUCC has developed a distinctive sound, marked by its strong focus on African folk melodies, while also embracing a global choral repertoire.
The choir recently performed with South African music icon Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse at the RU120 Makhanda Community Concert, a collaboration that reinforced its ability to span genres without losing its grounding in lived experience.
The upcoming KZN tour emerges from the choir’s philosophy of viewing music not just as entertainment, but rather as testimony, memory and vision.
The choir conductor has been outspoken about the role of music in a country where poverty continues to shape the futures of many.
He often reflects on the difficult choices that define life in rural and working-class communities, where survival demands take precedence over artistic pursuits.
“The choir’s aim is to shift that narrative by creating opportunities for young people to encounter music not as a distant performance, but as something immediate, powerful, and within reach,” he explains.
The repertoire RUCC will take on tour reflects this layered approach, and a musical language that stretches beyond borders.
“This tour will not be measured in applause or audience numbers. Its impact lies in the conversations sparked, the harmonies shared, and the way it might shift how a young person thinks about their voice, both literally and metaphorically,” Njeza concludes.
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