Voice of South Africans

Ask someone about “the voice” and most people will think you’re talking about Frank, or Bruce, or even Britney. But in South Africa, “the voice” is Vusi. That’s Vusi Mahlasela, who will be appearing at the Barns of Wolf Trap tonight.

South African novelist Nadine Gordimer calls him his country’s “national treasure.” Musician Dave Matthews, a Johannesburg native, likens him to Woody Guthrie or Bob Dylan. But beyond the hype is a sound that is at once an amalgam of struggle and uniquely personal.

A child of the townships that dotted South Africa in the years during apartheid, Mr. Mahlasela quickly became part of the underground music scene that combined music and social protest in an intensely personal way.

Remember the a cappella mbube music of Ladysmith Black Mambazo? Albums like “The Indestructible Beat of Soweto,” which brought the voice of the townships to people far outside South Africa? Mr. Mahlasela’s sound is reminiscent of the two, while his lyrics have moved beyond the songs of protest to those of reconciliation, forgiveness, and hope.

“I’m sure I learned to sing before I could talk,” he has said. By the time he was a teenager, he was writing his own music and lyrics. Today, he is considered one of the pre-eminent singer-songwriters on the world stage.

Raised by his grandmother in Mamelodi township outside Pretoria, Mr. Mahlasela was attracted early on to the swirl of activity that characterized Mamelodi. At the time, the township was considered a cradle of the arts, with artists, poets, and writers producing an outpouring of work that reflected their own and their nation’s struggle.

Mr. Mahlasela’s own compositional style reflects the influence of the poetry that was popular during the apartheid years. In the early ’80s, he was a member of Ancestors of Africa, a group of poets and musicians that was often harassed by the police.

But his love for music began even earlier. He built his first guitars from cooking oil cans, using fishing lines for the guitar strings. Soon, he came to the attention of Miss Gordimer, who arranged guitar lessons for him. Mr. Matthews, of the Dave Matthews Band, became an early fan.

By the early ’90s, Mr. Mahlasela’s focus had changed to reflect new freedoms, and new challenges, in South Africa. He became the voice of reconciliation and an advocate for unity.

“If you are bitter you are like a dry leaf that you can just squash, and you can get blown away by the wind,” he told National Public Radio in an interview for Weekend Saturday last fall. “There is so much more wisdom in forgiveness.”

In 1994 he performed at Nelson Mandela’s inauguration as South Africa’s president. That same year, he released his second album, “Wisdom of Forgiveness.” In addition to his own recordings, Mr. Mahlasela can also be heard as guest vocalist on Dave Matthews’ 2000 album, “Everyday.” He has also recorded with the Soweto String Quartet and appears in the film “Amandla!,” which chronicles the role of music in South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle.

His most recent album, “The Voice,” recorded for Mr. Matthews’ ATO Records label, features songs in six different South African languages.

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At the 9:30 Club tonight, the Jazz Mandolin Project opens for Vida Blue. If you thought mandolins were the sole provinces of folk musicians, think again. JMP’s sound is a unique blend of folk, jazz, funk, and that little something extra that has kept fans loyal, and rocking, ever since the band began in 1993.

Then, it was a kind of ad hoc collection of musicians, headed by Jamie Masefield, who were playing in five different bands all across New England. Over the years, the Jazz Mandolin Project has been a temporary home to an ever-changing roster of supporting artists, including Gabe Jarrett, the son of jazz pianist Keith Jarrett, and Stacey Starkweather on bass. Tonight, the group will feature Jon Fishman of Phish on drums.

You can expect a few cuts from “Jungle Tango,” JMP’s newest album (its fourth), which contains strong elements of soul and funk — hardly what you’d expect coming out of a folk instrument. They have even included a nod to jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal: “At The Pershing,” which contains more than a reference or two to Mr. Jamal’s “Poinciana” among other favorites.