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READY TO ROCK AND ROLL

By: Mthubanzi Mniki

Their genre of choice is something unique, which is rock, for a township band that is nogal! But Motherwell band, Shoelace, is determined to bring rock music back onto the scene.

The fve-member band is made up of the lead vocalist and guitarist, Ndumiso Ntantiso, bass player, Zusakhe James Gysman, acoustic guitar player, Sinoxolo Mbuthuma, drummer Xola Kulati, and keyboard player, Mvuzo Mnyaka.

Their talent was honed at the Motherwell Cultural Centre, a Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality initiative aimed at uniting young people through their expression of different forms of art.

Why the name Shoelace, many may wonder…

Their name is derived from the way shoelaces appear tied on a shoe, all intertwined to fasten the shoe tightly to the foot. Metaphorically, this is their view of their band: as a unit, intertwined to grow closer together.

The band members of Shoelace weren’t always this tight, as before 2009 they were all playing for different bands. They experimented with each other’s sound, and from that, rock music was born. The rest as they say, is history.

Lead vocalist and guitarist, Ndumiso Ntantiso, describes their music as “a rocker’s soul music.”

“People do identify with the rock sound, but they always ask us about that something different that comes through in our sound,” says Ntantiso.

A recent highlight and lifetime achievement for the band was being chosen as one of the performers to open the stage for rhythm and blues music legend, Usher, at the Hansa Legends in the Making concert.

“We never thought we would share a stage with Usher so soon in our band’s history,” said Ntantiso.

The band has performed at venues across the city and at

the Grahamstown National Arts Festival, where they won the Standard Bank Encor and Ovation Award.

The process to be selected to perform at the Hansa Legends In The Making Concert was competitive, and the band was up against stiff competition from other artists to make it into the top six performers to take to the stage before Usher.

Drummer Xola Kulati is grateful to the fans, friends and family members who supported and voted for Shoelace to perform as part of the top six.

“Had it not been for our supporters, we would still be dreaming of performing on such a prestigious stage,” said Kulati.

He said the experience taught them many lessons.

“We are now wiser, and we picked up on how to be professional in the industry. We are now preparing for our gigs at the Grahamstown festival, where we will perform for four shows. We invite our local fans to come and support us,” said Kulati.

When they are not rubbing shoulders with the rich and the famous, the Shoelace band members enjoy going to the movies or fooling around with one another.

Acoustic guitar player, Sinoxolo Mbuthuma, had this advice to share:

“Be true to yourself and remain humble.”

Catch Shoelace and their rocking music at the PE Opera House on 11 May and at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival from 29 June to 2 July.

You can also follow them on twitter at @shoelaceRockaz or search for their Facebook Page on

www.facebook.com/shoelaceRockaz’soulband or view their video on YouTube by searching for Shoelace – Miss Jones. For bookings contact Bulelani Matenjwa on Matenjwa. bulelani966@gmail.com.

UBUNTU COMMUNITY MAGAZINE MARCH I APRIL 2012 37