This article won’t make sense because I’m writing with excitement……
I manage to get hold of THE album to have in 2009 …..After calling almost 10 Musica stores around Pretoria, I found 1 store that had only 1 copy of the much anticipated sophomore album of Thandiswa Mazwai titled “
Ibokwe”…..
Whoever was driving next to me on my way home…probably thought I was drunk……I couldn’t drive straight as a result of my excitement……..by the time I got home I had only listened to 5 tracks of the 9-track album…..And I knew I had to write a review about this album…my excitement ended when I figured that there was no way I could translate most of the Xhosa lyrics into English……but luckily for me the CD sleeve offered some explanation/story about each track…..
On her interview with Penny from MetroFM early Jan 2008, she mentioned that she did not feel any pressure to deliver an album better than Zabalaza…she went further by saying her sophomore album (untitled then) should not be compared to Zabalaza because it was a different album and she was a different person when Zabalaza was recorded 5 years ago.
From the Cover or CD sleeve, I could tell that this is Thandiswa like we’ve never seen/heard her before…….always pushing boundaries. The graphics of the cover are Awesome….The Front cover tells the story of Mzantsi people, the Jozi skyline, the Soweto towers, amakhwenkwe abuya entabeni…..amagqirha entlombeni with the wording….THE PEOPLE SHALL GOVERN…..
The back of the CD sleeve shows young people Toy-toying, playing drums and singing….There’s a lot one can pickup from the CD cover…History majors can create a beautiful story from the CD sleeve…….
I’m not sure how will other people receive this Album, but if ungum Xhosa; there’s no way you won’t like this album. It takes you back home (if uhlala edolophini), I just couldn’t help think about the day ndandibuya entabeni, I could see young and old dancing and rejoicing about my home coming. If you grew up in an area with Traditional doctors (Amagqirha), you will just be taken to “one” of their gatherings (Intlombe)….Picture them singing, dancing, drinking Smirnoff and smoking isnafe(sp)……There’s no way you can listen to the album while sitting down……
That being said…Music is a universal language…I don’t think you have to know Xhosa to appreciate this album…
Thandiswa is the Producer of the Album and co-Producer is Thapelo Khomo. Thapelo used to be a backing vocalist for Bayete and is an accomplished Producer. I’m not sure if Sipho Sithole (Producer of Zabalaza) played a role on this album.
This is my proof that i bought the albumThis is only a 9 track album…I’m very disappointed at Miss Mazwai; she could have done better….but that is just a minor inconvenience…….
Track 1: Thongo Lam (Iyeza) – A person with a calling to be a traditional healer sometimes suffers from a kind of madness as a sign of her/his calling. In this song a person begs for medicine to take away the madness.
The song reminds me of my teen years when I was in a traditional dancing group…..
Track 2 – Ibokwe (Goat) – title track – This is a song about resolve, determination to react. A goat is used a lot in cultural rituals. The song voices determination to take care of a certain problem without ritual involving a goat.
This one reminds me of the woman staying opp my grandmother’s house when she used to curse all her husband’s nyantsi’s. Track 3 – Ngimkhonzile feat her daughter Malaika reading the Freedom Charter principles – The song tells people that Freedom is a right worth fighting for. Sorry Ms Mazwai – I found the song boring except Malaika’s reading…..
Track 4 – Ingoma feat Bra Hugh (1st Single) – The song ends abruptly because like love a song can end unexplainably as it starts. – There’s really not much to say about this track……
Its Thandiswa at her bestI think this is enough for now….she also features her sister Ntsiki Mazwai (a fellow tvsa blogger) on one track.
One of her musical icons is Busi Mhlongo……and if you’ve seen Thandiswa perform live, I swear you would think she was Busi Mhlongo. I‘ve seen Thandiswa perform alone and with Bongo Maffin a number of times…..but my memorable performance has to be when she recorded her DVD at MetroFM studios hosted by T-boz (former MetroFM DJ who now works for KayaFM). Mama Winnie Mandela was in the crowd……That evening Thandiswa gave one of the best live acts I’ve seen in my life (it comes second to Michael Jackson’s last performance in South Africa).
Thandiswa is also featured as a cover girl on the March edition of True Love….and she’s looking HOT…..I didn’t buy a copy of the Magazine but I did manage to take a few pics from the magazine (I’m sorry….there’s no way I will pay R20 for a magazine edited by a Chef/cooking lady)….Thank God the Security at Clicks didn’t see me while paging through the Mag.
The Mazwai family is not short of talent…some of Thandiswa’s siblings are in the arts and entertainment industry……..Her Mother (may her soul rest in Peace) and her Father must be one of the proudest parents…..
Thank you Thandiswa for taking me back to EC with this Album……Thanks for reminding me where I come from, and thanks for teaching these young kids HOW TO SING….
Without mentioning names…..all these “female musicians” that think can sing just because they can say Do re mi fa so la ti do……..take a chapter from Thandiswa’s book PLEASE……I encourage you to go get the album and True Love….If you buy True Love, please let us know what she says on the article….
Now can someone at Gallo give me 10 copies of Thandiswa’s Album to give away to TVSA readers?????Thandiswa's pics - taken from a True Love at Clicks, CD Pics - courtesy of my stupid iphone