Oratorio Of A Forgotten Youth by Amandla Freedom Ensemble, Mandla Mlangeni
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Scars. Why are there so many open scars in South Africa? Scars left by racial capitalism, which always reopen, never heal. “The writing of our time is on broken skulls.” Lesego Rampolokeng's poetry is a statement of intent. Powerful. What happens when you shoot the English with British bullets? Outrage. The beat. We hold the truth about our liberation within our wombs, writes Rampolokeng. Mandla Mlangeni plays the trumpet. Improvisation. Rhythmic sensibilities. Eternal jazz. The beat of the broken bone. A husky voice ringing out loud and clear.
It all really begins when Eugene de Kock... wait a minute. Why are there more images of Eugene de Kock than Bheki Mlangeni on Google search? Interruption. Let's rewind. It all begins when a bomb kills Bheki Mlangeni. The entire history of South Africa can be summed up in the murder of Mlangeni. As in that of many others. Soweto. 1990s. Dirk Coetzee exposes the dirty war waged by the apartheid political police, Unit C1, based at a farm called Vlakplaas and responsible for numerous murders, kidnappings, poisonings... Coetzee, the unit's first commander, who was granted amnesty during the sitting of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. “And once again the power-monger wins”. How quickly we forget and switch tracks, writes Rampolekeng. “We don’t break the rotten walls, we whitewash them.” Bheki Mlangeni was murdered by de Kock, who wanted to kill Coetzee, but it was Mlangeni who died. Like many others. The entire history of South Africa can be summed up in the murder of Mlangeni. How can the dream of power to the people be realized when the people have been systematically massacred? Echoes of Palestine. Echoes of South Africa. The favelas of Rio. Murders in the name of racial capitalism. Confessions. Freedom and reconciliation. Of what? The music of Mlangeni is more of a weapon than its Western imitations.
A young layer working for the African National Congress reveals the truth and is murdered. The trumpet sounds. Powerful. If suffering is a commodity in the marketplace of truth, memory becomes a void. History begins in Africa. It has always been this way. Crossing the Atlantic. The cry of the Black Panthers to the beat of Fela. Rampolekeng’s spoken word to the tradition of all black and indigenous repentistas. Music may not be revolution but is an open rehearsal of revolution.
Dr.Sócrates for Tropical Diaspora Records®
Oratorio Of A Forgotten Youth by Amandla Freedom Ensemble, Mandla Mlangeni
[Johannesburg/Cape Town, São Paulo/Berlin 2025] – Amandla Freedom Ensemble & Mandla Mlangeni Unveil Lost Chapter of Oratorio of a Forgotten Youth: “Homelessness”
In an electrifying archival revelation, Amandla Freedom Ensemble and visionary trumpeter Mandla Mlangeni release “Homelessness”—a previously unheard track from the seminal Oratorio of a Forgotten Youth sessions. Recorded in 2019 but omitted from the original pressing, this sonic manifesto now emerges as a harrowing bridge between jazz, poetry, and protest, amplifying the album’s reckoning with South Africa’s unhealed wounds.
Following overwhelming demand, the Amandla Freedom Ensemble, under the visionary leadership of trumpeter and composer Mandla Mlangeni, is thrilled to announce a second press of their groundbreaking 2023 album, Oratorio of a Forgotten Youth. This release reaffirms the album’s status as a vital work fusing jazz, Afro-jazz, classical, and indigenous traditions, while echoing the struggles and resilience of South Africa’s youth movements.
Formed as a dynamic gathering of young, innovative musicians, the ensemble serves as a living bridge between generations, engaging in profound artistic dialogues with jazz elders and indigenous music custodians. Their work pulses with the spirit of collaboration, whether through explosive performances with living legends or cutting-edge workshops that nurture the next wave of composers and arrangers.
At its core, the Amandla Freedom Ensemble is a musical insurgency—one that dismantles barriers to artistic access while redefining the canon of South African jazz. Through electrifying live performances, cross-generational mentorship, and uncompromising creative exploration, they ensure that the nation’s musical heritage does not merely survive, but thrives, disrupts, and inspires.
Disclaimer: The images shown are for illustration and mock-up purposes only and may not be an exact representation of the product.
CREDITS
Lesego Rampolokeng: spoken word
Yonela Mnana: piano
Siya Mthembu: voice
String Quartet:
Kabelo Mothlomi, Kabelo Monnathebe: violin Tiisetso Mashishi: viola
Daliwonga Mashishi: cello
Choir:
Banele Khanye,Thembinkosi Sibisi: bass
Ntando Nxumalo,Israel Sonyoto: tenor
Surprise Sengwayo: alto
Khanyisa Xaba, Puleng Sedi, Nomphumele Kubheka, Akhona Thongo: soprano
Band:
Enoch Marutha: perc and drums
Simphiwe Tshabalala: drums
Ariel Zamonsky: double bass
Mathapelo Wesinyane: alto sax
Sibonelo Kodiseng: tenor sax
Sisonke Xonti: tenor and soprano sax
Thabang Manana: alto sax
Muhammad Dawjee: baritone and tenor sax Benedikt Reising: baritone sax
Mark Fransman: flute, alto flute, alto sax, bass clarinet Mandla Mlangeni: trumpet
Cover Art: Tawanda Mu Afrika
Design: Graeme Arendse
Recorded at Soda Studios, Johannesburg
Mixed and Mastered by Gavan Eckhart Produced by MMMusic Pty Ltd
WARNING: All Rights Reserved. Unauthorised duplication is a violation of applicable laws
© 2025 Amandla Freedom Ensemble, Mandla Mlangeni
© 2015-2025
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