Eon The Mod x 9II5: JHB

9II5 X MUGA TOUR: JHB

From the 8th to the 24th of May 2026 French South African electric poetry band Eon The Mod will be in South Africa for The Make UBUNTU Great Again Tour.

Following on from the release of their latest album “25 Lìve” in December of 2025, the MUGA tour begins with rehearsals and shows in and around Durban KZN before the band hits the road for East London, Makhanda and Johannesburg.

9II5 is a curated music event concept with roots in the Durban creative scene. Over the last 16 years, 9II5 has staged various conceptual events tailored for the working class urban audience, activating spaces that speak to an authentic cultural and creative energy.

On Friday, 22 May 2026, 9II5 will be hosting the Johannesburg leg of the MAKE UBUNTU GREAT AGAIN Tour at COLLECTORS’ COLLECTIVE RECORD BAR;

FRI 22 MAY 2026

19:00

COLLECTORS’ COLLECTIVE RECORD BAR

R150 [PRE-SALE] | R200 [DOOR]

EON THE MOD

Eon The Mod is a three piece electronic outfit fronted by South African Spoken Word artist and Poetry Slam champion Ewok. Ewok’s poetry and lyrics are embedded in the improvised soundscapes of French modular musician and composer Charles Amblard. The duo are complimented by another French artist, professional sound designer and engineer Vincent Hoppe. The trio offers a dynamic performance range developed through their more than 30 years of combined performance experience, from the most intimate of theatre spaces to the largest of festival stages.

The Make UBUNTU Great Again Tour is the first time that the project will be appearing in South Africa. The theme of the tour is rooted in the band’s conscious socio-political content and their positioning themselves as a part of the global movement for a more just and equitable society. Eon The Mod believes strongly in the part that art and artists play in the push for eco-social justice worldwide.

For media enquiries in South Africa please contact [email protected] or WhatsApp +27840169432.

To track the MUGA tour for continued updates follow the MUGA event page

The full tour schedule as well as album and video material is available at eonthemod.com

Links to Eon The Mod socials and such can be found here at https://linktr.ee/eonthemod

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Eon the Mod will be supported by a variety of JHB-based performers in the poetry and electronic spaces;

MAK MANAKA

Maakomele R. Manaka is a Soweto born poet with a strong artistic heritage. Mak, as he is widely known, has published four collections of poetry If Only (self-published, 2003. Edited by Don Mattera), In Time (Geko,2009. Edited by Andrew Miller) Flowers Of A Broken Smile (InkSword 2016) and Oncoming Traffic (Botsotso 2018. Ed. by Allan Horwitz). In 2005 Manaka released a dub-poetry album titled, “Word Sound Power”. Some of his poems have been translated into Italian and German, and they also have appeared in various literary journals and news papers such as Mail & Gurdian, Aerodrome, New Coin, Botsotso, Kotaz, The Chronic, Poetry Potion. Manaka’s energetic poetry has seen him travel the globe, from Soweto to Spain, Cuba, Jamaica, Lesotho, Botswana, Germany, Holland, Italy, Switzerland.

He performed at the inauguration of former president Mr. Thabo Mbeki, and was invited to perform for the late Mr. Nelson Mandela. He is The Daimler Chrysler Poet Of The Year 2005 Award nominee. He represented South Africa at the closing ceremony of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

He recently established a poetry translation methodology through his program Translating The Protea, and through the program he translated his poetry collection into isiXhosa, Afrokaans and Sesotho Sa Leboa. Manaka runs creative writing classes in and around South Africa, he holds a Masters Degree in creative writing from Rhodes University.

Links to articles, poems and videos:

http://thisisaerodrome.com/poem-the-stove-maakomele-r-manaka/ http://botsotso.org.za/2015/10/two-poems-by-mak-manaka/ www.booza.mobi/makmanaka https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbshSB1kUFM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcSi3kIDFJ4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc6UjYbwasg

XABISO, GOD & YU

Xabiso, God and YU is a poetry and music collaboration between award-winning poet Xabiso Vili and guitarist, vocalist, and composer Zelizwe Mthembu (also known as Yusuf Makongela) of The Brother Moves On.

Rooted in African storytelling and blues-inflected guitar traditions, the duo blends spoken word, improvisation, and live composition into performances that shift between poetry, song, and sonic exploration. Their work draws on memory, spirituality, and the emotional landscapes of contemporary South Africa, weaving together themes of grief, joy, and compassionate masculinity.

Their performances are intimate yet expansive, creating a space where poetry becomes music and music becomes prayer.

FRESHLY PRESSED WHITE TEES

PJ & Plonk are two friends brought together by curiosity, craft, and a love of sound. PJ is an award-winning director with an instinct for story, atmosphere, and memorable moments. Plonk is a lifelong searcher of sounds — drawn to textures, rhythms, and the unexpected tones hidden in everyday life.

Together, they create warm, playful performances that blur the line between music and storytelling. The structure of their live presentation is basically two guys and a whole lot of machines in front of them. From that position, they weave together sounds and rhythms that transcend space and time, They’ve shared sounds across Johannesburg, with occasional adventures to AfrikaBurn.

FUNKEDELIK

Sithembile Mbonyana, popularly known as DJ Funkedelik, is a KZN-born, JHB-based DJ. Dubbed Funkedelik for her DJing flexibility and her undeniable love for funky Hip Hop, she is also known to infuse Neo-classic Soul, Jazz, Afro-funk and Broken Beat into her sets. SHe has shared stages with artists such as SKYE WANDA, RAHEEM KEMET, P-KUTTAH and NELZ.

Funkedelik studied Music Production and DJing at Creative Arts College in Durban and later moved to JHB to pursue her creative aspirations. With a poetry background, she has explored various roles in the creative sector, including a stint as an artist manager. She continues to be active as a DJ and an event coordinator through her FUNKEDELIK LIVE SESSIONS in central Johannesburg.

Funkedelik has done live mixes on and for Inanda Fm, Ukhozi FM, KCRadio and TruFM, which can be found on the following DAP’s:

AUDIOMACK || www.audiomack.com/funkedelik62

SOUNDCLOUD || www.soundcloud.com/funkedelik

Facebook | @Ms Funkedelik Funk | IG: @sithe_funkedelik | Twitter: @sithe_funk

9II5 founders and resident selectors, RobthaBanka & 2daXHA are 9II5 SOUNDSYSTEM. The Johannesburg leg of the MUGA TOUR promises to be an evening of high energy performances, mind-bending electronic music and hard-hitting spoken word.

9II5

OnTheGrind|AllTheTym