Chorus Information

People Arise—Sing Out Against Apartheid. 1990,  Audiocassette;  in CD May 2006;
Singing for a Cure, 1996, CD Single (All proceeds go to AIDS/HIV projects). 
Sizongena:  Coming Home (Vukani Mawethu in South Africa), 1998, Video; in DVD May 2006.  Ukuthula / Peace, 2006, CD.

Oakland Tribune (L. Kelp);
San Francisco Examiner;
West Contra Costa Times (K. De Sa);
Fremont Argus (D. De Sa);
East Bay Express (Lee Hildebrand);
People's Daily World;
Oakland Tribune (B.Payton);                                                                                                                      Oakland Magazine,  and others.

Vukani Mawethu Choir is a diverse dedicated group of Bay Area choral singers, now in our 22nd year as a community-based, social justice, non-profit choir.  Founded in 1986 by the late James Madhlope Phillips in support of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa, Vukani Mawethu Choir has been singing freedom songs from South Africa for over 22 years, as well as gospel, spirituals, labour and civil rights songs, to audiences large and small – entertaining while inspiring people to action against apartheid, racism, and injustice; for peace, justice, and equality; and for the education and future of the children of South Africa.  Vukani Mawethu Choir sang for almost every anti-apartheid related event in the Bay Area from l986 through 1994; and being from the former Congressional District of Ronald V. Dellums and currently, of Congresswoman Barbara Lee, the Bay Area was a region of action and strength against apartheid, which kept us very busy. 

Our work has been a true labor of love, none of us ever receiving any payment individually, but through our performances and efforts for the past 22 years, Vukani Mawethu has raised thousands of dollars for schools, health clinics, orphanages, and other AIDS/HIV projects; for the ANC and for COSATU; and for a broad range of peace, social justice, and humanitarian campaigns in South Africa and here in the Bay Area.  We have kept steadily busy since 1986 performing, organizing, educating, and raising funds as noted above.

In our last cultural tour in l997, we were humbled by the overwhelming reception we received from the people of South Africa.  This warm reception included huge crowds awaiting our arrival in, e.g. a stadium and at the home of a Mayor;  vans covered with signs that read “Welcome Home, Vukani Mawethu”;  being publicly addressed and acknowledged directly at a South Africa Women’s Day rally by Winnie Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Adelaide Tambo, Tokyo Sexwale and others; and being hosted by the Dept. of Arts and Culture of the Eastern Cape at a major concert with a number of nationally-known mass choirs from throughout South Africa followed by a dinner banquet with the late Goven Mbeki in Port Elizabeth.  Scenes of these events from our last tour in 1997, as well as much historical footage and many interviews, are memorialized in a 30-min. Emmy-award winning documentary video, “Sizongena, Coming Home to South Africa,” the CD of which we will provide to you as soon as possible.  

Vukani Mawethu has also produced two full-length CDs (“People Arise: Sing Out  Against Apartheid” and “Ukuthula/Peace”), a special 20th Anniversary double-cd  package, and a CD single (“Singing for a Cure”) that was done solely to raise  funds for AIDS/HIV projects in South Africa.  We have also been included on  recordings of others, such as on “Eye of the Storm” produced by the Ella Baker  Center to benefit survivors of Hurricane Katrina, and on “Songs of Kwanzaa”  a CD by QB Williams of 7 Kwanzaa songs, one for each day of Kwanzaa.  

We also have our own line of products with our bright colorful logo (above, top left corner) including:  tees and sweatshirts, totebags, caps and buttons.  These products were so popular when we were last in South Africa, that we were literally asked for the shirts off our backs.  Sales of these products is another component of our fundraising efforts for the projects we support.

We propose to do, and are in the process of raising funds for, a return cultural tour throughout South Africa in April 2009.  We plan to bring as much money as we can raise, to the worthy projects we’ve been supporting in the townships of South Africa, and to strengthen our people-to-people solidarity with South Africans who suffered so much through decades of oppression before the political defeat of apartheid in 1994.  We plan to make ourselves available to sing at any number of venues and events, for many of the worthy projects we have been supporting, and for others we encounter, in the hopes that our pro bono services will help various projects and organizations raise funds to continue their work.