Maskandi bands are filled with culture and heritage, the proudly South African music genre has some serious feel-good vibes.
‘Vukazithathe & Nselemafu’ a Maskandi duo recently released a new song called ‘S’thandwa Sami’ (My Beloved), the first track from their new album ‘Kukhon’ Izinsizwa’. The duo, Bheki & Matt, come from KwaDweshula & KwaDukuza.
Bheki has been playing Maskandi for more than 30 years while Matt’s Maskandi journey started in 2005, when he started learning from the late Brush Dlamini.
“We played together for 3 years and he taught me the fundamentals of Maskandi. In 2017 I was introduced to Bheki, and we started playing together regularly. As our friendship grew, new songs were composed, culminating in the recording of our first album together: ‘Kukhon’ Izinsizwa’.”
“Some of our songs talk about love, others are about problems in our country such as lack of respect for elders and violence. In these songs we encourage people to solve problems through kindness and love!”
Maskandi, also known as Maskanda, is a kind of Zulu folk music. Originally, it focused on a man travelling to court his bride or meet a chief but has since diversified to include female performers in the genre. Maskandi is rich with Zulu culture, made up of lines of poetry and played using an acoustic guitar and a variety of other instruments.
Watch the video below and get ready to kick off your weekend.
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