Musician Rajdev "Kinx" Nandkumar, who sang the popular Don't Dala Wida Masala in 2005, is making a comeback with his new song, Indian Coconut Man, as a tribute to 1860 indentured labourers.
The single is the first track to be released of Nandkumar's first solo album Charcoal Blitz and Baked Beans.
The singer-songwriter was the former frontman of local band Charous With Attitude.
The band's releases - such as Beans & Puri (2003), Don't Dala Wida Masala, Da Taxi is Gangeetz (2005) and Phoenix Town (1986) - were all well received by the Durban Indian community.
Nandkumar, a high-school English teacher, said the new song aims to address the loss of culture among Indians.
"There are groups of people who have gone to live in the white suburbs and this song is about how we lose our roots and put on a mask. We want to affirm our otherness by becoming something else."
Indian Coconut Man has been receiving airplay on Lotus FM while the 15-track album is set for release in August.
The father of two said he wanted to motivate Indians to take pride in their heritage. "In the song, I have the lyrics that your forefather was a cane cutter, but it does not have a negative connotation.
"Our ancestors must know that we are proud of them. They kept their culture, ate simple, rustic food but they also built schools and they built up this province with the little they had. They had a vision."
Nandkumar said it wasn't his intent to insult anyone with the lyrics but felt it was necessary to pay tribute to the forefathers.
"People ask me why I write songs like this and I ask who else is going to? Who is writing our stories? I see this as social commentary. We mustn't be ashamed and must give thanks to the people who put us where we are," he said.
The track is available for free download at: goldencityvoice.blog.com.
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