Thula Sizwe: The Group Zulu will present an authentic snapshot of the Zulu culture and musical tradition.

It will give the local audience a reminder of when South Africa was on the world stage and freedom to sing was not guaranteed.

Donations between $10 and $20 are suggested. The concert is free to Lycoming College students.

Made possible by the Williamsport Community Concert Association Endowed Fund, this is the third public offering resulting from the merger of the college and the fund.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Members of Thula Sizwe teach one of their song and dances to ballet classes at St. John's School of the Arts (SOTA) Monday night. Thula Sizwe, meaning "hush and listen," is a ten-man group from Soshanguve South Africa is a singing and dancing troupp. The group uses a call-and-response acapella style called isicathamiya, or "walk softly," originating from tribal performances from the the 20th century. Thula Sizwe is traveling the U.S. with Williamsport/Loyalsock native Lee Saville-Iksic, Artistic Director of the Pittsburgh Youth Chorus and was invited to the school by SOTA Artistic Director Theres Kendall.

This relationship ensures that the legacy of the fund will endure, and that the music department at the college, as well as the local community, will continue to be augmented and further enriched.

Thula Sizwe, meaning “hush and listen,” is a South African, 10-man singing and dancing troupe.

The group uses a call-and-response acapella style called Isicathamiya, or “walk softly,” originating from tribal performances from the 20th century and evolving into work songs as men left their rural homes for urban work.

Formed in the 1980s, Thula Sizwe created music together during South Africa’s apartheid, a period when unemployment was high and the group of black singers needed special permission to perform. Thus, music and language are integral not only to their work but to their lives.

The troupe’s leader, Jabulani Abel Diamini, comes from a family of musicians and speaks nine of his country’s 11 official languages.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Members of Thula Sizwe teach one of their song and dances to ballet classes at St. John's School of the Arts (SOTA) Monday night. Thula Sizwe, meaning "hush and listen," is a ten-man group from Soshanguve South Africa is a singing and dancing troupp. The group uses a call-and-response acapella style called isicathamiya, or "walk softly," originating from tribal performances from the the 20th century. Thula Sizwe is traveling the U.S. with Williamsport/Loyalsock native Lee Saville-Iksic, Artistic Director of the Pittsburgh Youth Chorus and was invited to the school by SOTA Artistic Director Theres Kendall.

The group will meet with the college’s world music class, led by Lycoming’s William Ciabattari, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the music department, for performance demos, a question and answer session, and a history discussion.

The group also will visit the college choir for a rehearsal and workshop.

“We are excited to host Thula Sizwe at Lycoming College,” said Ciabattari, “and we are proud to help continue the legacy of the Williamsport Community Concert Association to bring cultural enrichment to our community.”

The college’s music program offers an enriching curriculum that is bolstered by numerous performance and professional opportunities, and a flexible course structure that allows students to design their own path to match their career goals and interests.

More information on music for majors and non-majors is available at https://www.lycoming.edu/music/.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Members of Thula Sizwe demonstrate one of their song and dances during ballet classes at St. John's School of the Arts (SOTA) Monday night. Thula Sizwe, meaning "hush and listen," is a ten-man group from Soshanguve South Africa is a singing and dancing troupp. The group uses a call-and-response acapella style called isicathamiya, or "walk softly," originating from tribal performances from the the 20th century. Thula Sizwe is traveling the U.S. with Williamsport/Loyalsock native Lee Saville-Iksic, Artistic Director of the Pittsburgh Youth Chorus and was invited to the school by SOTA Artistic Director Theres Kendall.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Members of Thula Sizwe demonstrate one of their song and dances during ballet classes at St. John's School of the Arts (SOTA) Monday night. Thula Sizwe, meaning "hush and listen," is a ten-man group from Soshanguve South Africa is a singing and dancing troupp. The group uses a call-and-response acapella style called isicathamiya, or "walk softly," originating from tribal performances from the the 20th century. Thula Sizwe is traveling the U.S. with Williamsport/Loyalsock native Lee Saville-Iksic, Artistic Director of the Pittsburgh Youth Chorus and was invited to the school by SOTA Artistic Director Theres Kendall.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Members of Thula Sizwe teach one of their song and dances to ballet classes at St. John's School of the Arts (SOTA) Monday night. Thula Sizwe, meaning "hush and listen," is a ten-man group from Soshanguve South Africa is a singing and dancing troupp. The group uses a call-and-response acapella style called isicathamiya, or "walk softly," originating from tribal performances from the the 20th century. Thula Sizwe is traveling the U.S. with Williamsport/Loyalsock native Lee Saville-Iksic, Artistic Director of the Pittsburgh Youth Chorus and was invited to the school by SOTA Artistic Director Theres Kendall.