URBAN VILLAGE

Urban Village music encourages and motivates, entertains, and awakens cultural and traditional consciousness; it encapsulates day-to-day personal and societal experiences echoed with teachings by the elderly, bringing us back, not to be regressive but to take us back to a point where our identity reflects us and our stories.

Inspired by an innate love for the sound of music and with rhythm that flows through their bones with the same consistency as blood, the band came together in 2013 but not all at once. It all started with Lerato Lichaba, the bandleader, and one by one the four found each other, like souls that once met on the other side. Their sound can be described as a blend of folk music, Zulu rock, Xhosa funk, mbaqanga, maskandi layered with electric and funky acoustic melodies clearly rooted in South Africa.

Urban Village consists of young experiential artists from Soweto, Johannesburg: Lerato Lichaba on Guitar/Vocals, who has toured extensively with the legendary Madala Kunene as part of Forest Jam Orchestra, multi-instrumentalist Tubatsi Mpho Moloi on flute, guitar and Mbira who Inspired by an innate love for the sound of music and with rhythm that flows through their bones with the same consistency as blood, the band came together in 2013 but not all at once. It all started with Lerato Lichaba, the bandleader, and one by one the four found each other, like souls that once met on the other side. Their sound can be described as a blend of folk music, Zulu rock, Xhosa funk, mbaqanga, maskandi layered with electric and funky acoustic melodies clearly rooted in South Africa.

Urban Village consists of young experiential artists from Soweto, Johannesburg: Lerato Lichaba on Guitar/Vocals, who has toured extensively with the legendary Madala Kunene as part of Forest Jam Orchestra, multi-instrumentalist Tubatsi Mpho Moloi on flute, guitar and Mbira who was an actor/dancer in the renowned musical production Umoja, Xolani “Cush” Mtshali on drums and Simangaliso “Smash” Dlamini on bass.

Often referred to as one of the hardest working bands in South Africa - they have played over 100 shows over the past two years including Oppikoppi, Basha Uhuru, Afropunk Johannesburg and Design Indaba.

Urban Village released their debut release Bantu Art (EP, 2016) and Urban Village are the first Southern African artists to be signed to French label Nø Førmat, their debut album will be release in early 2020.