Urban folk singer Bongeziwe Mabandla's got a soulful new album

26 May 2017 - 02:00 By Sandiso Ngubane
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Bongeziwe Mabandla.
Bongeziwe Mabandla.
Image: Supplied

Singer Bongeziwe Mabandla's voice - to borrow from a description once bestowed on the late Jabu Khanyile - is distinctly mellow and soulful.

Whether or not you have any experiences of slow, rural living, it has the ability to transport you to lands unknown, but somehow vivid to the imagination.

It conjures up a longing for a simple existence among rolling hills and homesteads where peace and love reside.

His latest offering, Mangaliso, builds on the style we became acquainted with on his debut album Umlilo, with poetic Xhosa lyrics intertwining effortlessly with traditionally inclined folk leanings and a simultaneously urban proclivity.

The artist describes the nostalgia imbuing his 11-track album as something "people can understand and find themselves in".

"I guess my music has always had this feeling of trying to find happiness and trying to get free. I think it's what makes people relate to me," he says.

The title track Mangaliso - which aptly translates to "marvel" in Nguni languages - was written long before the album took shape. "It resonated with me instantly. It was inspired by thinking that life is so beautiful and meaningful. I found this realisation life-changing and thought it was a good depiction of who I am and how I feel. I also thought it was a more optimistic side of my music."

On the track Mabandla sings about finding something and it can be easily interpreted as being a sort of spiritual consummation, but it's actually about music, he says. "I've always wanted to be a singer. The realisation of this has been miraculous. I'm finding joy in the world, and this song is about that process - finding happiness in places I didn't think I'd find it."

WATCH the video for Bongeziwe Mabandla's song Gunuza

After the album's release two weeks ago, Mabandla immediately went on tour, with dates in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. He's playing at Durban's Zakifo Music Festival on Sunday, May 27. He is then off to Reunion for the festival's sister event Sakifo.

Mangaliso says he hopes that his music renews people's faith in the world. ''I want to inspire my listeners to believe and to keep holding onto hope no matter what," he says.

This article was originally published in the Times.

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