The highly anticipated fourth edition of the Folklore Festival will take place at the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg next week 11 – 13 September (Thursday, Friday and Saturday). It embraces the powerful theme of #Kinfolk – a celebration of the deep, meaningful connections that bind us as a community rooted in African and heritage preservation. September is Heritage Month in South Africa. This festival is a brainchild of storyteller, singer, songwriter and creative entrepreneur Pilani Bubu.

The context of “Kinfolk” extends far beyond blood relations, it speaks to the spiritual family we create through shared stories, traditions, and cultural experiences that have been passed through generations. In a world increasingly fragmented by digital disconnection and cultural erosion, the Folklore Festival’s #Kinfolk theme calls for a return to authentic belonging – to the rhythms that pulse through our collective memory, the stories that shape our identity, and the sacred knowledge systems that anchor us to our ancestors and guide us towards the future.

The Mahotella Queens. Picture supplied

This gathering represents more than entertainment, it is homecoming where cultural custodians, emerging artists, and community members unite to strengthen the threads that weave us together as one people, celebrating the profound truth that our individual stories are most powerful when they become part of our collective narrative. The festival has an incredible lineup of artists, featuring legendary voices and emerging talent that embody the spirit of cultural preservation and innovation.

The Mahotella Queens are South Africa’s Crown Jewels of Mbaqanga, with a career spanning over fifty years. They brought Mbaqanga music to a global audience, balancing an emerging urban identity with the nostalgia of traditional cultural practices. The Queens – Hilda Tloubatla, Mildred Mangxala, and Nobesuthu Mbadu – first sealed their places in the legend of urban South African music in the early 1960s.

Buhlebendalo. Picture supplied

Buhlebendalo (from The Soil) is a Soweto born gender activist and former lead vocalist of the multi-award winning, internationally acclaimed and double platinum selling A cappella group The Soil. She brings her sentiments of local stories deeply rooted in African Spirituality to the festival stage.

Jabulile Majola is one of the rising voices of Afro-Folk. His latest project “Isitifiketi” talks to identity, rooted in time, movement, and the places and experiences that shape who we are. Growing up at a Children’s Home in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, storytelling was everything – from folk tales to stories about the world beyond. This gifted storyteller discovered his passion for singing in the church before exploring folk music, drawing inspiration from classic and folk maestros like Joseph Shabalala and Leonard Cohen.

Zawadi Yamungu. Picture supplied

Zawadi Yamungu is known by her Swahili stage name meaning “Gift from God”. The artist whose real name is Nkosingiphile Mpanza is a deeply moving voice who sings and plays a diverse set of traditional instruments. She channels ancestral spirit through song. Zawadi is another star in the blended world of indigenous and contemporary folk music.

Odwa Bongo is admired for his extensive vocal range and cultural commitment. Odwa is one of the few prominent uHadi players in the country, bringing deep traditional invocations and contemporary Jazz expression to preserve and celebrate indegenous musical forms. Tickets for the festival can be purchased at Quicket or at the venue.