Vusi Mahlasela hopes to bring ‘healing’ with his album ‘Umoya’

Vusi Mahlasela has delivered another deeply personal and spiritual body of work set to bring healing to the airwaves with his latest project Umoya.

The album is Vusi’s first new body of songs from studio recordings since 2009.

“I recorded the album during the time of Covid-19 and that was the time of a great test for humanity. To have it released now, it was a spiritual way forward for this album to acknowledge the supremacy of the Almighty and the undying human spirit,” he told TshisaLIVE.

The legendary musician received a standing ovation from a full capacity audience at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg on Sunday at the Legends Concert hosted by Womad when performing songs that touch on crucial lessons learned late in life.

“My creative process during the recording of the songs was led by my ancestors to bring up subjects matters that have to bring hope and healing to troubled souls, to fight and dismantle the shackles of colonialism.”

“Covid-19 impacted our lives in many ways and I was having health challenges and stress. The Flame Studio at Constitution Hill was offered to me to record my new songs as demos but the songs directed themselves where they wanted to go, led by my ancestral spirits, so because of the history of the place the music cleansed the place in some way.”

He drives an overall message of celebrating “who we are as people” in the album with South African and African languages and instruments in the music.

“I hope to leave a greater appreciation of African music.”