“The Youth Is Safe With Safe Energy” – Forest Ramushwana
Sawubona. You know, A boxer can jab a few times, before he can throw the inevitable hook. Brother Lindokuhle Njabulo Hadebe, or Safe Energy, has been jabbing at us about who he is for a while now, don’t you think?
He first jabbed at us with the EP Sophumelela(2022), a collaboration with Suup Zulu. An experimental New Age Kwaito sound, where he played around with his rapping ability
Secondly, he pushed at us with the EP, Emazulwini(2024). A four track piece that was his first guitar offering. A work that seems to be the blueprint for what we will be seeing him as, at least for the next few projects if not more.
A griot whose lyrics are centred on the ideals of the AbaNtu. With songs like Izulu, Mazulu, Khanya Phezulu, and Four Xaba –a tribute to mnumzane Sibusile Xaba. He showed his ability to take care of this Afro-Folk sound, and make it strike a different raw.
Thirdly, this is the part where we would be hoping to see that expected hook. With his third EP offering, Injabulo, he seems to be pulling us in a clinch, first.
And the clinch smells of an incoming punch that packs knock outs and reckonings for those who don’t know that the name of Mthimkhulu enchants when chanted. Come with me.
The Folk Musician From Soweto
Safe Energy, is a Johannesburg-based guitarist and vocalist, who is making a name for himself in the list of those who keep the fire of Afro-Folk music alive.
“His sound is a warm home cooked mixture of ‘AmaHubo, avant-garde textures, blueish jazz tones, and the soul of Mbaqanga, all while borrowing spiritual depth from Malombo music.’”
A musician and song-dreamer, who is proud to mention the music that inspires his. From that of Dr.Madala Kunene to that of Soul Brothers. Sounds that Mzansi can claim as their own, because they claimed Mzansi as their own through sound, innovation, and relentless self-expression against all cords.
The Sound of Injabulo
Most if not all times, revolution is as simple as being ones’ self. Moving towards this raw, Afro-Folk sound, makes room for Safe Energy to tell us who he is, the way he would’ve told us if it was the 18th century.
Some of the songs on Injabulo, are works that appeared on his second EP, Emazulwini(2024). Songs like Izulu, Mazulu, Khanya Phezulu. But they are now richer, with more flavour and work done on them.
Take the song Izulu for example. It has grown to be a full and rich composition. The extra instrumentation comes with intention, put together by one who understands the architecture of melody.
The percussion brings the Malombo vibrations, but the whole complete song also has a feel of that golden Mbaqanga sound that made our aunties sneak out through windows at night.
The acoustic guitar, it carries a whiff of marinated Marabi riffs, so children should lock their parents in at night because it’s going down lekker koMthimkhulu.
“Sabela Mthimkhulu, sondela Mthimkhulu, Sabela Mthimkhulu” [Respond Mthimkhulu/ Come closer Mthimkhulu / Respond Mthimkhulu]
Then there is a mnumzane Mahlathini-like husky baritone that punctuates with MTHIMKHULU!
Now the great King Mthimkhulu II, was a famous medicine man, who was also known for his rainmaking ability. Now check this out:
The griot of Izulu, in the form of Mthimkhulu’s descendant, continues from the previous line to say, “Yaneth’ imvula/ yaneth’ imvula!” [The rain is falling/ The rain is falling].
But the second “Yaneth’ imvula!”, the griot does something with his voice, that before you sing along to it, ask yourself this question, can you stand the rain? That’s a warning.
It was not there in the previous version of the song, because Hadebe probably did not know how to make rain back then.
Then there are new songs, like the title track, Injabulo. A rhythmic percussion with simplicity that can only be played by someone who has nursed the drum on the lap for some time. And must have checked mnumzane Mabi Thobejane’s flow with the Malombo way of the drum.
The guitar is Malombo, or whatever, but come here. When you are making a plea for Injabulo, you must touch things will a true hand.
“Sithandazela injabulo,” [We are praying for happiness]
The mood, does not carry the cheerfulness that one would find in a song about happiness. But this is happiness for grown folk mzala, where one finds it merely in seeing their toddler stand on their toes to take an apple from the table, against all odds a one year old knows. That is happiness. This is the music of life. This is Safe Energy for us.
When you listen to the song until the end, the vocalist makes a zzz, zzz, zzz, zzz…sound that I know I have heard something like it somewhere. It’s a very distinct sonic branding level type of zzz, zzz that I know I have heard somewhere, kind of like this.
That’s when I went to my Dr.Phillip Tabane and his colleagues’ collection, and listened to Mae Kutlo. You hear something like it in the beginning of the song, but I know there are other songs by the Malombo old men where there is something like it again. Yes, you may hear something like it in American Blues music, but this kind, packs a different lunch.
It’ a unique ingredient. What can I compare it to? Not salt for sure, but the type of ingredient that keeps salt in it’s place. This child is Malombo and there’s nothing wrong with that. He should be. But the next song, tells you that he is something else too.
Thandaza is a play of the ancient, anew –which is of course nothing new to this guy. You’re met with the sound of the mbira, an instrument we usually associate with the sacred and antiquity –a thousand plus years of existence is a long time.
When the mbira begins, instead of sliding in the way I and AI would expect a vocalist to slide over the sound of the mbira, we get something different. In fact, using the word slide and mbira in the same sentence, would make AI hallucinate.
But trust Safe Energy to do such things for you. Because he slides in, yes –he slides in a way that only a cat from the now can. “UNkulunkulu ikhemi lam’/ Ng’thandaza kuze kushon’ ilanga/ Ng’thandaza kuze k’vele inyanga/ Ng’thandaza kuze Yena imbala” [God is my medicine/ I pray until the sun sets/ I pray until the moon appears/ I pray until He Himself appears.]
But if he were to travel back to the 18th century to deliver this one, yes, they would understand him. But they will also suspect him. Then they would ask him, “who is your grandfather?” When he tells them that he is a “Mthimkhulu,” The Great Medicine, then they would accept their suspicions as paranoia caused by being the presence of royal blood.
The vocal deliverance on Thandaza is mellow and laid back, with an air of effortlessness. The spiritual, without effort –but still devotional. Can you imagine that? The type of song that would make it easy to approach the throne of grace without shame that you haven’t brushed your teeth.
Out of all the songs in the album, Thandaza is my favourite one. But wait, not because it’s my “favourite favourite” one. But because I know that Izulu will be everyone else’s favourite, so I’m pulling away from the crowd to go thandaza is silence while the people call on the rain. The whole project is gospel music for the BaNtu people, on their way to Umjuxuzo Wasemandulo.
Track Highlights
| Track | Description |
| Izulu | Play the song. Go to 1:30. But first, go inside because it might start to rain. And in special cases you may hear hear, or see something associated with mkhulu Credo VusamaZulu Mutwa. |
Who This Is For
If you are into Afro-Folk by avant-garde cats like Dr.Phillip Tabane, Dr.Madala Kunene and of course mnumzane Sibusile Xaba –you will find the pattern. Safe Energy knows how to pay homage to the greats by paying homage to himself.
Quick Facts
| Artist | Safe Energy (Lindokuhle Njabulo Hadebe) |
| Project | Injabulo EP |
| Origin | Soweto, Johannesburg |
| Sound | Folk, Malombo, Mbaqanga, Avant-garde |
| Key Influences | Dr. Madala Kunene, Dr. Phillip Tabane, Sibusile Xaba |
| Previous Work | Sizophumelela EP(2022) Emazulwini EP(2024), |
| Radio Play | The World Show with Nicky B |
| Notable Achievement | Top 4 finalist — Gauteng Live Project (2024) |
| Streaming | Injabulo EP |