As part of Arts Alive International Festival, the City of Joburg will be honouring the living legend Letta Mbulu with a special tribute. The tribute will coincide with her 75th birthday on Heritage Day. A blue heritage plaque will be unveiled at her family home, followed by a tribute concert at Orlando Communal Hall, with performances by friends from the music industry, together with rising young talents.
Going back to her roots, the public celebration will be held in Orlando East at the neighbourhood where she started her singing career, and first gained recognition. Letta Mbulu began her career at the age of 13, performing with the Swanky Spots at the Donaldson Hall.
A blue heritage plaque will be unveiled at the home of Letta Mbulu by the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development, Cllr Nonhlanhla Sifumba. The blue plaque is an internationally recognised heritage symbol that will be presented by City of Johannesburg together with the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation.
Festivities will then move to the Orlando Communal Hall, which was historically a major community centre and performance venue in Orlando East. The tribute concert will take the audience down memory lane with renditions of many of Letta’s hit songs.
Letta Mbulu says she is honored and humbled by the tribute to be conferred to her in Heritage Month by the City of Johannesburg.
“I thank God for the gift he gave me, and how my mother nurtured it”, says Letta. “I’m also indebted to James Mabena, the man who discovered me as a singer. There are a lot of people who played a role in this gift, but it is the people of this country who made me aware that I had something special, because every time I performed they applauded, approved, and gave me the confidence. The Americans just put on a stamp, but it’s my people at home who saw me grow up and bestowed the confidence”.
The event is open to all, and entrance is free.
Details of the opening are as follows:
- Date: Monday, 24 September 2018
- Venues and Time: A community fun walk at 8 am starts and ends at Orlando Communal Hall. The plaque unveiling at 11am will be held at 1670 Molahloe Street in Orlando East. The tribute concert at Orlando Communal Hall will be held from 2-5 pm
For enquiries, kindly send to mediaqueries@joburg.org.za
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