Identify: Bongeziwe Mabandla Is Channeling The Beauty Of The Times
The masterful soul musician reveals his process
Bongeziwe Mabandla is walking. Behind him are lush green trees, the street quiet except for the sound of footsteps. It is some days after the release of ‘amaXesha’, the South African musician’s fourth studio album, and he’s momentarily resident in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. This is the hometown of Tiago Paulo, the longtime producer of Bongeziwe who has produced his last two albums. They are rehearsing in anticipation of some shows the artist would be playing early next month in London.
“This is part of the shows that I’m actually rehearsing for,” revealed Bongeziwe in a recent conversation with NATIVE Mag. “We have, like, two sold out shows, and it’s just an exciting time”. The time is surely prime for Bongeziwe, whose album has been heralded following the release of ‘iimini’ in 2020. Some weeks ago, the musician premiered the soulful “sisahleleleni (i)” on COLORS, delivering an evocative performance while serving skin in a graceful yellow top. It was an extension of the run-up that set the ground for ‘amaXesha’, which is an album that reiterated Bongeziwe’s artistic focus on those shared intimacies of the human race.
“The whole album came about how do you go back to a relationship that didn’t work?” he says. “How do you approach that? How do you try and fix things with somebody that were broken? It’s all about relearning how to trust each other, relearning about the person, trying not to make the same mistakes, finding love again with somebody where there’s a lot of hurt.”
Exploring tensions borne from a romantic affair has been a recurring totem in Bongeziwe’s writing. ‘amaXesha’ pondered those tensions in a direct style as he’s seldom done, weaning bigger lessons from his distinct experiences and those he’s observed in the world around him. Bongeziwe admits that the reason why he thought the album was important because of the relationships he observed around him. “You find somebody who’s divorced, maybe, going back to his significant other, and giving the marriage a second chance. And I just thought about how that process would be – because you’re going against a lot of people who are surprised, who don’t understand it. And people are like, ‘How can you go back’?”
Mabandla considers ‘amaXesha’ a Side-B of the pandemic era album, honing into its themes of positivity and finding new perspectives within the narrative it espoused. ‘iimini’ means ‘Days’ and ‘amaXesha’ translates to ‘The Times’, revealing the progressive scope of Bongeziwe’s ideations. “Both of these concepts are about sometimes, we are living, and we unaware and we just going through our days,” he explains, “not knowing that one day, when we look back our lives we’ll know, ‘Oh, those experiences that I was having, those were the times of our lives’. You know, life happens through time”.
A lot of the writing happened during lockdown, in South Africa, where the artist was resident. “It brought a lot of challenges to the recording,” he says about the album’s creation process during that period. “I’d obviously start off at home and record my vocals and the guitar, and then send it to [Tiago] and we would talk over the phone, and then he would work on stuff, like put drums and bass and send it back to me. After a while, we were in the same space here in Mozambique to record together.”
Tiago, the often mentioned producer who steers Bongeziwe’s sound, was a member of the 340ml band. His former bandmate Paulo Chibanga had produced the artist’s debut ‘Umlilo’, and one album afterwards, Tiago sought out Bongeziwe. Their first project was the award-winning ‘iimini’, where conceptual sonic flourishes were paired with evocative singing. ‘amaXesha’ parlays that understanding into riveting pieces with electro edges, offering a soundscape that continues Bongeziwe’s movement beyond the Folk tradition, yet retaining a characteristic soulfulness. “When I met Tiago, it felt like a really great match and it happened instantly,” said Bongeziwe.
He doesn’t consider ‘amaXesha’ as “straightforward” as the preceding album, although the careful listener might find sonic parallels. For one, it echoes his philosophy about what an album should do. “An album is about capturing a certain period,” he said. If the atmosphere surrounding ‘iimini’ was the growing career of Bongeziwe, the close relationship he was approaching with Tiago, ‘amaXesha’ is more personal and melancholic. To capture those emotions, the sound moves on similar motivations. Affirming its direction, Bongeziwe says: “It evolves on the experimental side”.
In the period before the 2010s, Bongeziwe Mabandla was unknown. At least, not in the music circles he’s dominating today. Prior to releasing music, Bongeziwe considered a career in theatre. He had grown up in the Eastern Cape, an area rich in Black and musical traditions, but Bongeziwe had plans to stake fresh territory. The world was changing, and belonging within English culture seemed the definitive medium for belonging anywhere of importance. In high school, he went by Bonge.
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The move to Johannesburg would change Bongeziwe’s life forever. There he was supposed to become an actor, but found that “the training wasn’t as intense as I thought it would be,” as he said in an interview with Music In Africa. He was rather immersed into the world of art and music, where pro-Black ideologies had the philosophical edge on young people such as himself. That was when he decided to create art under his full name, and also to sing in his native Xhosa. “It was very black conscious music,” he says about the Jo Burg music scene. “Growing dreadlocks, claiming their culture and their language back. I wanted to be part of that because I knew it was very powerful; it was also very important. So I was super influenced by that”.
Having attended English schools all his life, this re-education was important in the new phase of Bongeziwe. He credits artists such as Simphiwe Dana and Thandiswa Mazwai for sparking the necessary flame of cultural reclamation, while seeing himself as working in the tradition of artists who’d casually release an album entirely written in Xhosa. “It was a statement,” he said.
Prior to signing a record deal, Bongeziwe worked with the aforementioned Chibanga of 340ml. They had created ‘Umlilo’, capturing the multifaceted sound of the artist. He had, after all, listened to artists such as Tracy Chapman, Asa and Lauryn Hill, whose solo work and as part of The Fugees taught Bongeziwe to translate his music with more intentionality. “[Chibanga] had taken the record to different labels in South Africa and there were times when I would almost sign to one, and then it wouldn’t fall through,” he says, “And then I had heard about SONY Music, and there were interested, and I think I heard in June, and only got to sign the contract in March the following year. So it took a long time”.
Behind the scenes, Bongeziwe mastered his craft. ‘Mangaliso’ was released five years later, in 2017, and was a calculated risk at broadening the perimeters of his sound. Emerging from the griot tradition did not mean he couldn’t build on their peculiarities; although estranging some section of his fanbase, the album proved a critical success as it was awarded the South African Music Award (SAMA) for Best Alternative Album. ‘iimini’ won in the same category three years afterwards, which would mean all eyes would be on Bongeziwe when the prestigious award comes by this year.
The more important acclaim for Bongeziwe is bound to be genuine musical connection, however. And that, he has lots and lots of. Early this year, when I really got into his music, I had searched for a live performance to watch. Finding one of “isiphelo (#untitled)”, he had recorded the video during the pandemic, a time when actual human connection was necessary but scarce. Mirroring the powerful emotions on display, the majority of comments on that YouTube page affirmed the transcendental pull of Bongeziwe’s music, whether in memory of a departed one or as a touchstone of a life-changing moment. Even something as commonplace as a breakup, which the song is actually about, becomes illuminated under Mabandla’s careful, soul-wrenching singing.
Perhaps this quality can be attributed to Bongeziwe’s connection with theatre, establishing close emotional honesty in his songs. This can be traced also back to the music he listened to at the start, how resonant those messages of love and life were. He had distinct taste from the start; not being necessarily drawn to popular stuff. “I liked that about myself,” he said, “That I was not listening to what everybody was listening to. I found my kind of music, and that was a major thing for me. It made me individual”.
In the South African music scene which is right now studded with talent, Bongeziwe sticks out like gracefully. During the course of our conversation, I brought up Lloyiso, an R&B singer who this magazine recently covered. Mabandla affirms he’s met the musician not long ago; and while a collaboration might be possible in the future, right now he’s promoting the stunning collection that is ‘amaXesha’. Each time offering fresh perspectives to listeners, Bongeziwe’s approach to writing embraces a practical dedication that renders it rich narrative quality, making him, truly, a most competent purveyor of the times.
“You know, I try and find topics that move me,” he says, now pulling on a strand of his hair. “I try to write about things that are important to me, that changed me and are important to how I live my life. If something really upsets me, I’ll go write a song about it. If something really makes me happy, I’ll go write a song about it”.
IDENTIFY: YINKA WANTS THE WORLD TO LOVE AGAIN
Shekhinah Returns With Surprise Album, ‘Less Trouble’
The South African R&B star is at her most assertive on her first album in four years.
South African R&B and Pop singer Shekhinah has released a new surprise album titled ‘Less Trouble.’ The Durban star, who had been quiet for most of the year, took to social media shortly before midnight to share the new album’s cover, synopsis, and tracklist, simply stating, ‘If you’re seeing this my album LESS TROUBLE is out now at Midnight,’ in an Instagram caption.
The soulful singer first began teasing ‘Less Trouble,’ her first album in over four years, about a year ago when she released its lead single “Risk,” a bouncy Afropop-inspired collab with Ghanaian star MOLIY. A few months after the release of “Risk,” she put out “Steady,” a dreamy pop number that suggested that something bigger was on the horizon. But then it was largely radio silence about a project until its surprise arrival at midnight.
If 2021’s ‘Trouble In Paradise’ represented a coming-of-age for Shekhinah, subsisting some of the dreamy, youthful exuberance of her debut album for more measured musings on themes like heartbreak and grief, ‘Less Trouble’ finds her at her most assertive, writing and singing with the acuity of someone who is grown, decisive and discerning. The delicate opener “Break Up Season” sets the tone for the rest of the album as she shows little tolerance for shady behaviour and toxic patterns.
Other standout cuts on the album like “Bare Minimum,” a sombre collab with fellow South African award-winning singer lordkez, the ethereal, in-your-face interlude “New Casanova,” and the percussive “What Are We,” where Shekhinah contemplates the nature of a relationship but ultimately demands all or nothing, all drive home a part of the album’s synopsis, which reads ‘A BOOK ON MORE HEARTBREAK BUT LESS HEARTACHE.’
Shekhinah invites a couple of new collaborators on ‘Less Trouble,’ featuring the aforementioned MOLIY and lordkez as well as multi-instrumentalist Mars Baby and Young Stunna across the album’s 11 tracks. Mpilo Shabangu handled the majority of the album’s production, while other producers like Michael Morare, her longtime collaborator, Mthintheki Mzizi, and Vuyo also contributed to the album.
Listen to ‘Less Trouble’ here.
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The NATIVE’s First Impressions Of Amaarae’s ‘Black Star’
‘Black Star’ marks another evolutionary arc for Amaarae, and The NATIVE team offer our thoughts after a...
Change has always been a constant theme in any discussion about the career of Ghanaian-American star, Amaarae. Since she emerged as a singular voice in the late 2010s, she has evolved from a sirenic Afropop-adjacent singer into a Punk-Pop firestarter with minimal fuss. ‘Fountain Baby,’ her 2023 sophomore album, was a sweeping departure from the lilting melodies and shapeshifing cadences of the hypnotic ‘The Angel You Don’t Know,’ emphasizing her commitment to charting new courses with her music.
In the lead-up to her new album, ‘Black Star,’ she has wholly embraced a Pop aesthetic and sheen that was reflected on the album’s promotional singles, “S.M.O.” and “Girlie-Pop!.” Now that the album has arrived, the singer has advised listeners not to go in expecting a continuation of the soundscape on ‘Fountain Baby.’ As keen followers of Amaarae’s career from its start, we are sure that ‘Black Star’ marks another evolutionary arc for her, and we offer our thoughts after a few listens.
WHAT WERE YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF AMAARAE GOING INTO THIS ALBUM?
Kemnachi: I had zero doubts that she would impress me again. Amaarae always comes correct. She is audacious with her choices, taking creative risks most artists would not dare to imagine, and somehow rendering them seamless, deliberate, and effortless. Her music has a way of enveloping me: it’s fluid, slightly dangerous, and yet irresistibly sensual. Every project feels like an immersive world she has curated down to the finest detail. With ‘Black Star,’ I knew it was not going to be a mere collection of songs but another meticulously constructed realm.
Bamise: I expected something fun, genre-bending, and sonically diverse in the fashion that Amaarae’s music typically is. I may have taken the album title a bit too literally, though, because listening made me realise I had an eye out for some Pan-African statements or something to spark discourse on African identity, but I didn’t quite catch any of that.
Boluwatife: Amaarae has largely delivered throughout her career, so I knew she was going to come correct again. She’s one of those forward-thinking artists who take the kind of risks most others wouldn’t, but she always manages to make it work. She’s proven to be a musical omnivore who constantly meshes her wide-ranging influences into something new, fluid, icy, and more often than not, sensual. I knew ‘Black Star’ wasn’t going to be any different.
WHAT SONGS STOOD OUT ON THE FIRST LISTEN?
Wale: I liked “Girlie-Pop!.” I feel like it captures Amaarae’s vision of pushing Afropop into the future. She’s also really grown comfortable with music and lyricism and will not dumb down her message for anybody. The instrumental for “Girlie-Pop!” is also a wonder; it’s so dense, but there are pockets for Amaarae to be emotive about her feelings. Top song!
Daniel Akins: I need to hear “B2B” at the next rave I’m at. Amaarae is in her Dance era, and I’m here for it. Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2” with PinkPantheress is the collaboration I knew I needed, and I’m glad they finally linked up. It’s a clear standout on the project; their ethereal style complements each other.
Shina: “B2B” was the one that did it for me. That is my favourite track on the project. The number of times I ran it back was unhealthy for a first listen. It was also really fun to catch the Don Toliver “Best You Had” sample. I need to hear this outside!
HOW WELL YOU THINK THE GUEST APPEARANCES ENHANCED THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE?
Israel: The guest features on Black Star aren’t mere flexes. They’re strategic, theatrical, and sometimes emotionally resonant. They enhance, yes, but they do so on Amaarae’s terms. A standout for me was PinkPantheress on “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.” The tradeoff is that a few songs feel like dazzling cameos rather than an integrated conversation, yet overall they enhance the album’s drama, texture, and bravado with precision.
Daniel Banjoko: Everyone showed up and delivered, no weak links here. Instead of just guest spots, they felt like vital pieces of a bigger puzzle. Charlie Wilson on “Dream Scenario” nailed his part especially, making the track sound exactly like its name promises.
Moore: The guest appearances on ‘Black Star’ feel very intentional; each one enhances the album’s world without overshadowing Amaarae’s vision. PinkPantheress’s signature airy delivery meshes with Amaarae’s experimental pop sound. Naomi Campbell’s commanding voice on “ms60” is an unexpected but powerful addition, adding drama to the track. Each feature feels carefully chosen.
WHAT SONG IS THE BIGGEST SKIP?
Bamise: Not to be a party pooper, but I don’t get the PinkPantheress collab, “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.” It feels like a PinkPantheress song with less pop in it, and just borrows the title of the iconic Soulja Boy song but has no other similarities. It’s between that and “ms60.” For me, the chorus of that sounds like something I’ve heard from Amaarae before, and I doubt its absence would have diminished the album.
Shina: I feel like biggest skip is a strong word for a solid project, but if I have to pick a song to skip, it’ll be “ms60.” I think it’s easily forgettable.
Wale: It’s hard to single out a song that stuck out to me, but hearing Naomi Campbell on “ms60” threw me off. It’s just too contrived to bear for me.
WHAT SONG HAS THE BIGGEST HIT POTENTIAL?
Boluwatife: My gut answer would probably be “She Is My Drug,” just because of how she beautifully reworks the melodies from Cher’s “Believe.” DJ remixes of this song could go crazy. But if I were to think a bit more logically, TikTok would probably lap up “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.”
Daniel Banjoko: “Kiss Me Thru the Phone pt 2” goes crazy. Amaarae and PinkPantheress are the perfect match. This collab feels like it was destined to happen, and it delivers in full. Honestly, I can’t believe it took this long, and now I just need more tracks from these two, ASAP.
Moore: “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2” has the biggest hit potential on the album. The song has a nostalgic, sad party girl vibe that makes it appealing, and it’s also catchy and well-produced. PinkPantheress consistently performs well on platforms like TikTok, and her fanbase overlaps in a really interesting way with Amaarae’s. The collaboration feels organic and exciting, and will likely create a lot of buzz.
OVERALL FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Wale: There is a very visceral quality to how Amaarae expresses desire that I don’t hear very often in a lot of music. It’s abstracted and warped in futuristic textures, but it’s very profoundly human, and it’s always great to hear that even as she advances the sonics of her delivery. I do, however, have an issue with the thematic scope of ‘Black Star.’ I thought there would be overt references to her experiences of navigating her Ghanaian identity, but those references are limited to samples and interpolations. It’s still an incisive listen and a triumph for finding ways to advance music from Africa.
Bamise: It’s Amaarae; she can never go wrong. But for me, this is the album that excites me the least from her catalogue. Other than how bass-heavy some songs on the album are, like “S.M.O.” and “She Is My Drug” among others, it feels similar to other projects I’ve heard from her in a way that’s not exactly refreshing or mind-bending. I may have gotten spoiled by how diverse and eclectic Amaarae’s music tends to be, but I wanted more from her. I expected more gangster, Hip-Hop Amaarae. Thematically, I didn’t get anything that gives the Black Star of Ghana, or black stars are ruling the world. Will I listen again and enjoy every bit of it still, though? Yes, I will.
Shina: So first off, this is a solid body of work. I love the fact that Amaarae stuck with the Dance, Electro-Pop route she was going with throughout the album. The features also played their part, adding their unique touches to each record. I would say, though, a feature I would’ve loved to hear on this project is 070Shake. I think she would have been perfect on “100DRUM,” but we don’t always get what we want, do we? Thematically, I think Amaarae could’ve leaned heavily on her Ghanaian heritage, seeing as the title and cover of the album are a nod to that. Maybe Amaarae just wants us to dance, and that’s what I’m just gonna do, and you should too.
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Tems Partners With Hennessy For Leading Vibe Initiative
Launching in Lagos, Nigeria, this event pioneered by Tems marks the beginning of a continent-wide movement to...
In July, Tems announced the Leading Vibe Initiative (LVI) to support women in music and the creative space on their journey to make a mark in their fields and create space for other women in those industries. Born from Tems’ journey as a self-taught artist with a focus on driving change, the initiative offers training, mentorship, industry access, and community for women in music in Africa.
After a rigorous selection process for its inaugural cohort, Hennessy will join the two-time Grammy Award-winning star to celebrate the launch of the Leading Vibe (LVI) Initiative in Lagos, Nigeria. Held from August 8 to 9, 2025, the two-day event is the beginning of a bold new chapter in Hennessy’s long-standing commitment to music and culture in Africa.
“I’m excited to partner with Hennessy in bringing this initiative to life, supporting talented young women in music as they find their voices, embrace their power, and shape the future of the industry across Africa and beyond,” Tems said about the partnership.
The Leading Vibe Initiative aims to champion the next generation of female artists, producers, songwriters, and music professionals, increasing representation within all areas of music across the continent and beyond.
With Hennessy as lead partner, this ambitious program kicks off with an immersive event in Lagos featuring curated workshops, networking moments, and panel discussions led by top-tier talent from across the global and African music industries.
“Her vision, talent, and purpose align deeply with Hennessy’s legacy of championing those who push boundaries and redefine the world around them. We’re honored to support the Leading Vibe Initiative and to continue empowering African communities and cultures,” said Vincent Montalescot, Hennessy Global Chief Marketing Officer.
Hennessy’s partnership with Tems builds on the brand’s decades-long history of supporting music and artistic expression globally and on the continent. From Hip-Hop to Afrobeats, Hennessy continues to stand beside the artists and communities that shape culture.
In Africa, the Maison has deepened its commitment through meaningful initiatives like In the Paint and now, with the Leading Vibe Initiative, is taking a focused step toward amplifying women’s voices in music. With the Lagos launch as a powerful first step, the Leading Vibe Initiative will expand across Africa and globally, creating a cross-continental network of empowered women ready to shape the future of African music.
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