BY Nkosazana Ngwadla
South Africa producer and DJ Sun-El Musician and song catcher and vocalist Msaki are real-life and musical “best friends”, having created a history of memorable collaborations such as Ubomi Abumanga, Kuja Utanipata, and Best Friend. These anthemic songs have continued to provide South Africans with healing hope and a call to humanity.
Each creator in their own right has risen to critical acclaim in South Africa, and are fast garnering global audiences with their unique styles and conscious creation. Each has amassed multiple South African awards and Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinumn Status in South Africa across a variety of their solo and collaborative endeavors.
This formidable force reunites once again with their new single ‘Amandla’, which showcases Msaki’s poignant, ever-relevant and poetic lyrics and unmistakable voice, paired with the unique, melodic and heart opening Afro-house signature of Sun-El Musician.
About Amandla the duo explain:
“I wanted to support my best friend through a hard time she was going through, and I know how important music is for her for expressing where she is at. It was beautiful to be a part of creating a musical foundation for her to deliver her message,” Sun-El Musician. “Amandla means power in Xhosa and Zulu. This song however is about feeling disempowered in a situation and asking for release. The song is also about a moment of surrender, an underlying forgiveness, and understanding in the middle of that powerlessness. The real power is in the surrender that truth always prevails even when it’s delayed. This surrender and faith in the redemptive power of truth is where one can sometimes find solace and strength.
The line ‘uzundithethele xa imeko ivuma’ translates to mean ‘Speak the truth on my behalf when the circumstances allow you.’ The power also returns to the narrative when love that is not backed up by action is questioned sternly. ‘Uthando Zizenzo, alohlulwa yimeko yakho’ – Love is action and is not at the mercy of your circumstance’ Msaki
The creative choices for this campaign both in artwork and visual assets, emerged from an exploration of visual AI and its potential both for imagination, fantasy and role-play, contrasted with its darker and less explored ability to dehumanize through its distortion of truth. The question being suggested though the visual choices, is… Are we human?
Given recent global events, and media distortions, the duo continue to explore humanity as interfaced with technology, and as Msaki’s lyrics suggest the never ending quest for the power of truth.
While Sun-El Musician continues to perform globally and expand into global collaborations as well as building a network and platform for producers through his label Under the Sun, Msaki returns from her musical hiatus with an offering to all South Africans. Having recently spent her time creating, composing and writing for an impressive list of global superstars as well as supporting her creative community through her label Alt-Blk. Msaki also recently performed at Madison Square Gardens with long time friend and collaborator, Black Coffee.
Both Msaki an Sun-El Musican, as well as their respective labels are supported by artist services company Platoon.
Image: Supplied
