New song released on Day of Reconciliation celebrates Cape Town’s resilience

Music composer and guitarist from Wynberg, Mansoor Jaffer, released his second song and music video titled Mother City Vibes on Tuesday, December 16, to pay tribute to the spirit and energy of the City.

He is well-known for his musical compositions, especially the song Midnight Blue, featured in the award-winning short film Address Unknown about District Six, with Mr Jaffer on guitar, Dylan Roman on keyboard, and Wayne Barthies on bass.

The new song, created in collaboration with the Camissa Knights, was produced under Triple C Recordings, one of nine programmes of the Cape Cultural Collective, and it marked the seventh professional music video produced by the recording initiative.

Mr Jaffer said his intention with the new song was to capture the vibes of the City.

“When I listen to it, it evokes imagery of our natural beauty as well as that of the daily struggles many people face. People will take different things from it. Some say it has a festive feel about it, others feel energised and uplifted.”

The song was recorded and edited by Cape Town Studios and features a lineup of local musicians, including George Werner on keyboard and arrangements, Peter Ndlala on bass guitar, Carlo Fabe on drums, Muneeb Hermans on trumpet, and Uviwe Caso on guitar.

Filming and editing were done by Tri-Squared, with cover design by Mario Jutzen and photography by Mike Benjamin.

Drummer Carlo Fabe, who also teaches at the Institute for Music and Indigenous Arts Development, said his aim was to give the song a “lekker groovy and vibey feel.”

"I would like the listener to enjoy the melody and dance to the groove, and also appreciate the musicians’ solos in between. I also want people to feel happiness and joy while they are singing along and having time away from their everyday blues.”

The Mother City Vibes song can be streamed on YouTube here and on other digital music platforms. More information about Mr Jaffer’s work is available on Cape Cultural Collective’s website and social media platforms.

Mr Jaffer is also a co-founder of the Cape Cultural Collective, a former journalist, and a former anti-apartheid activist.