Bafo’s music being inspired by divination rhythms, it comes a certain way. Bafo has mentioned having poetic dreams, and those being the force behind his music.
Through this process, he has produced some of the most memorable projects for African music this side of the Zambezi.
These poetic dreams and divination rhythms, gave birth to some of his best work. The song Kon Ko Man, in the album by the same name, is such a song.
Kon Ko Man (1996)
“The track Konko Man (or Strong Man) has traveled the world and helped establishing a global fan base for Madala…” -Robert Trunz, Founder of MELT2000
[Bafo and mnumzane Keanu Reeves kicking it chosen one style emakhoneni]
It also gave birth to one of his classics, Abangoma. About the song, Bafo has said “I must have been inspired by my Ancestors, because I just got up, picked up the guitar and wrote the entire song.”
Ubombo, and the various house remixes that were to follow, is what probably introduced Bafo to a lot of us. “Tshelan’ uBongani atshel’ uBongo ukuth’ amaKhosi ayabonga…’’, was all we could sing in the taxi to school.
Kon Ko Man the album, is a capsule of some of Bafo’s most colourful work.
Company, Igwababa, Gumbela, Sanibonani, Khono Thwele as well as the three masterpieces mentioned above.
The album features collaborations from vocal powerhouse nkosazana Busi Mhlongo, the griot nkosazana Tu Nokwe, Malombo drummer mnumzane Mabi Thobejane, Brazillian drummer and producer mnumzane Airto Moreira, the producer who plays as many African instruments as my fingers, mnumzane Pops Mohamed, and many others.
The lyrics and vocals of the Madalaline way of music, are usually nursery rhymes, old childhood poems, lullabies, BaNtu folklore, and Bafolingo that I suspect is code language for secret BaNtu orders.
With the chalice of youth at his grab, he reminds me of izinganekwane that umalume used to tell me.
In these izinganekwane, there lived half-human-half-tree figures. They lived among people, but somehow managed to stay unseen.
Oftentimes, some outcast child looking for a place to belong, bumped into these trees. And when they entered inside these trees, they stayed forever young.
Bafo is a mystery. A big deal that only inspired gamblers can take a bet on. And one such gambler, was Swiss guitarist mnumzane Max Lasser. Together, Dr.Madala and mnumzane Max, gave us the album Madamax.
The album is one of Bafo’s best work, especially when it comes to capturing the Madalaline way of delivering lyrics.
Madamax(1998)
This album was an international landmark. Featuring songs like Gongo. A perfect example of the Madalaline way is taken from a play song we used to sing as children. We played it using a grasshopper’s leg. We would hold the grasshopper’s leg on the thigh, when you squeeze it a certain way, the rest of the leg moves up and down. As the leg moves up and down, we sang…
“Ngokwabanye nwai nwai nwai, ngokwakho Nqodo…”
[Nqodo\Ngoqo\Gongo was used depending on parts of the country, I grew up in northern KwaZulu where we used Nqodo]”
Impukane is one such a song too. “Uzothi wawungaboni, wawushaya impukane…’’ We grew up on these play songs, and he has somehow turned them into heightened art forms. A hail to the eternal glory of childrenhood.
Though it’s Madalaline, but in the song Marriage, you can hear the Marabi basslines -as Chisa nja! as they were in his Amanikabheni days.
The duo went on a successful European tour for the album. It was seen as a platform that showcased the vocal abilities of nkosazana Lungiswa Plaatjies, who was featured in it. The team was also joined by Swiss Pianist mnumzane Christoph Stiefel, Swiss Drummer mnumzane Walter Keiser, and American Musician mnumzane David Lindley.
Dr.Madala Kunene once performed at a home coming event for tata Nelson Mandela. They met again at a benefit show in Ethekwini, when tata saw bafo, with that Madiba smile and voice he said,”It’s you again, I wish you could play for me everywhere I go.”
That great Pandemic, seemed to not touch him at all, and after it, he has been performing more than some of us have ever seen him. And most of the times we have seen him, bhuti Sibusile Xaba is somewhere behind him, speaking in the language of the Order.
One of Bafo more recent work is 1959(2023). 1959, is a remembrance of the year where under the Group Areas Act, his family was forcefully moved from their home in Umkhumbane, to the township of KwaMashu.
I know many Dr.Madala Kunene followers would want me to say something about his trailblazing masterpiece King Of The Zulu Guitar(1995). That one is still working on me.
But what has done it’s work, is Bafo and Shwabada’s duo debut album kwaNTU(2025). A sonic home that came at the right time, when a lot of children who love and make music, were looking for a sound to call home.
Part 3 of 3 Ends