Local band CassaZulu Rock to open the Fall Levitt AMP Concert Series tonight (9/26)
On Tuesday afternoon, local musician John Zulu of CassaZulu joined me on the air at Z107.7FM. We talked about his growing up in South Africa and how that influenced the music he creates and performs today in the Hi-Desert.
“I’m nicknamed John Zulu because I write songs in English as well as Zulu. I was brought up in a place called Umtshezi, which the Zulus actually nicknamed as the place of the Khoisan Bushman. Being a farm boy there, I was surrounded by Zulu culture and the Zulu language, and it inevitably rubbed off on me…This is where I end up now, singing and writing in Zulu and English, but my roots are very South African…I didn’t try and bluff that I’m totally Zulu, or bluff that I’m British pop or American pop; I’ve tried to fuse the two.”
John Zulu explained that he brings his unique blended musical style to two bands: CassaZulu and CassaZulu Rock, the latter of which is the opening act in tonight’s Levitt Amp Concert in Twentynine Palms.
For an outdoor venue, like at the Levitt AMP show, I will be playing the three-piece band. I’ll have Clive Wright, a fantastic guitarist, and my backup singer, Noelle Shirley.
Whether in South Africa or the California Hi-Desert, John Zulu credits both nature and a community as inspiration for his cross-cultural art.
As human beings, we love space; we love nature. We can see stars at night, and cities cannot. We can see this nature and space around us; that’s it. I walked the African bush for many years, as much as I’ve walked Joshua Tree Park, and this has inspired me…Another thing that is great about Joshua Tree and the Yucca Valley area is that it is very special to have community, because it gives you a sense of being and belonging, and that at the core of all of us is something we want to be included in.
The Levitt AMP Concert Series kicks off tonight at Freedom Plaza in Twentynine Palms. Music begins at 7 p.m. when CassaZulu takes the stage, with headlining act Alice Howe & Freebo to follow. The free event will also include food vendors and family-friendly activities; attendees are invited to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and picnics to enjoy the show.
For more highlights on music, local and beyond, tune in to Z107.7 on weekday afternoons with Adeline J. Wells, on the air from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
