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Instead of a traditional listening session, Langa Mavuso launched his latest album Therapy: The Other Side with a spectacular delivery of acting, poetry and prose accompanied by his award-winning musicality.
South Africans across the country are about to experience Langa at his most raw, yet more seasoned both personally and musically as The Other Side is going on a national tour. The tour kicks off this Friday with an invite-only event at a secret rendezvous in partnership with Stella Artois.
Langa Mavuso’s raw emotions
The tear-jerking performance at the Market Theatre, presented as a therapy session, was a fitting return to the public eye for Langa who had taken time off to grieve following the loss of his partner, Chef Lentswe Bhengu-Mafoko in 2023.
Having gone through what he calls the soul-bearing experience of creating the album, Langa says it took him a year to embark on the tour because he had to sit through the fire that his life had erupted into, allow himself to feel the burn, reflect and feel it.
This reminds me of the Market Theatre's former CEO Gita Pather who taught me Critical Thinking, and how she used to emphasise the critical step of sitting with the uncomfortable emotions instead of trying to go around them.
“The Market Theatre performance for me was kind of the beginning of coming to the acceptance of what has become my reality; of what once was and what is no longer there.”
“Preparing for the tour took me a year because it was about allowing people the time to resonate with the music, reflect, enjoy it and find themselves in it. It allowed both myself and the music to breathe for some time,” Langa says.
The album is more explorative with production, style of writing and even genre diversity.
Launching with a therapy session was well thought out as he was aware just how emotionally taxing it would be to constantly revisit the thoughts, ideas and emotions evoked by the loss of Lentswe, who was an important part of his life both personally and professionally.
“My debut EP [Liminal Sketches] was financed by Lentswe and so arriving at moments of success and fulfilment reminds me of him. It’s impossible to tell my musical story without mentioning him,” he shares.
Listen before you go. Therapy: The Other Side on Spotify.
This really puts his grief into perspective because when you’re on the outside looking in, it’s easy to miss the multi-dimensionalism of loss and assume that only one aspect of a person’s life is altered by the departure of a romantic partner.
Langa the poet, the actor, the storyteller and the anchors who keep him grounded
While the therapy session may have felt like an introduction to Langa the poet, scriptwriter, actor and overall storyteller, the artist is not new to these art forms. He was a theatre student for the first three years of being a National School of the Arts student.
“I co-wrote the script with a friend I’ve known since high school. I had put this side of my art aside to focus on the music but ahead of the therapy session I’d been refreshing those skills with private acting classes,” he explains.
He says the journey of embodying each feeling and place while remaining protective of his life has been a rewarding experience.
The therapy session was also meant to capture the audience’s attention as anyone who has attended traditional listening sessions has probably observed how easily people get distracted and start talking over the music while the artist is pouring their heart out on stage.
“The conversation and therapy was for me to capture the audience that was there and allow them to kind of have a view into my mind and understand where I was at the time.”
At the launch, Langa spoke a lot about his mum and the support from his musical community and personal anchors like Ndumiso Manana and Zoë Modiga who have carried him through difficult times.
Langa says his community has been his greatest saving grace. He reiterates the adjective “greatest” four times, emphasising just how critical their presence, love and support has been while navigating life.
He is especially grateful for his parents who despite coming from a deeply religious background and conservative church, they chose him and put him first. This paints a picture of parents who choose love and acceptance over prying social eyes.
Stella Artois has also been a part of Langa's support structure throughout his journey with this album, allowing for the art to not only exist musically but to transcend into a full-fledged cultural experience with an infusion of fashion, storytelling, hospitality and other art forms.
THE NATIONAL TOUR:
24 October 2026
Emperors Palace
Johannesburg
15 November 2026
Drama Theatre
Pretoria
21 November 2026
Boardwalk ICC
Gqeberha
There are other destinations spanning across Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and the Eastern Cape. These dates and venues will be confirmed in due course.
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