After years pursuing a more traditional western R&B sound, emerging South African singer, songwriter, and musician THANDO SKWATSHA found himself at a crossroads between authenticity and aspiration, having aspired for so long to emulate his musical heroes such as Ne-Yo, Brandy, and Beyoncé, while also being immersed in the homegrown sounds of Ringo Madlingozi and Vusi Nova.
For his beautiful debut album titled IIMINI NENTSUKU, Thando Skwatsha had to make a choice, and he chose home – with every song on the album written in his home languages isiXhosa and isiZulu.
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To be released on November 18 via emPawa Africa, iimini nentsuku was written by Thando Skwatsha, produced by Milan Rendall, mixed by award-winning producer Keron Sheriff Thomspon (Major Lazer, Wyclef Jean), and mastered by Christian Wright (Ed Sheeran, Radiohead, Laura Marling) at the renowned Abbey Road Studios. The 12-track album is driven by Thando’s captivating voice, impassioned songwriting, and authentic sound, which are served on a musical plate of lush afrosoul and afropop soundscapes, with house, afrobeats, and electronic music sensibilities.
The album opens with the soulful lead single ‘isaziso’, which sees Thando Skwatsha reflecting on how his transition from childhood to adulthood has changed the relationship with his parents, and ‘ibali’ about an unrequited love that was not allowed to exist for cultural reasons. The album continues in this theme of past love with the glorious ballad ‘thandolwami’, before ‘andazi’ sees the South African native waxing lyrical about finding his own way in life – a theme that Thando explores further into the album on ‘all night’, where he sings about hope and believing in oneself.
Listen here;
