Rehearsals and New Compositions
20 February 2025, Thursday
With the team having been at Kwantu Village since the Sunday of the 16th, it was time to start recording the music. It was Dr.Madala Kunene on vocals, guitar and isitolotolo; mnumzane Sibusile Xaba on guitar, vocals and clay whistles; mnumzane Gontse Makhene on percussion and toys. In the studio, they had mnumzane Peter Auret as mixer and editor and mnumzane Andrew Curnow from Mushroom Hour Half Hour.
The spacious lounge was emptied of almost all furniture, to be turned into a recording studio for the album kwaNTU. The high ceilings made it a choice detail for good acoustics on the recording. The wooden floor was covered with a thick red carpet to prevent squeaks, and the space was set for work. We waited for mnumzane Peter Auret to set up the recording equipment.
Bafo was ready in his red bandana around his neck, brown waist coat with patterns of dots, pyramids, and other shapes that could easily be symbolic messages of the Bafo Code which he always follows through. Shwabada was seen decked in umbhlaselo and a Dr.Madala Kunene t-shirt covered with his long dreadlocks on the neck. As for Makgene, he was wearing the spirit of gentleness from his Swati bloodline.
After Auret had set up the recording equipment, the band started rehearsing compositions by Kunene, Xaba, and some improvisational work. When the recording had started, they laid new compositions down. From Thisha(Teacher), named after Bafo’s love for teachers. On the composition, Bafo touched on his sentiments about how “Teachers teach even the president, if there is no teacher…there is no president,” Bafo explained, as Xaba was writing down the name of the song on his notes.
They also recorded, Izimpisi, one that instantly became a favourite for all those who were at the session. True to Bafo’s style of archiving the mystery of BaNtu folklore. From being a childrens’ play song, to being that of affirming the parent’s protection.
Makhene on percussion, toys and sonic sorcery got me hypnotized when he held up a black garbage bag and looked me in the eyes. He kept on fondling it and feeling the music with his bare feet. I thought he was holding it out for me to go dispose something, but before I could go towards him and help him out, I was held captive by the rhythm. And it’s the rhythm that also reminded me that the black garbage bag, was part of the musical toys.
In-between the recordings, Bafo was singing and teaching sisi Fakazi some wedding songs, which she received the way a child receives from a grandfather.
But a song that kept ringing among a lot of us, was Izimpisi. A monster of a baby that starts danger, and eats it up as well. African expression on two guitars, drums, voices and the flute of artist and musician mnumzane Daniel “Stompie” Sedibe that was added in a different studio session in Jozi.
The session finished late in the evening. At night, the team lounged on the veranda, and washed away the hard day’s chef Bathandwa’s dish and and some dialogue.
[Day 1 Ends]