BandaBanda steps into the limelight with new album

Revered music producer and creative director BandaBanda is stepping back into the limelight. His musical prowess has been felt in projects by Sibongile Khumalo, Busi Mhlongo, Jabu Khanyile, Madala Kunene, Hugh Masekela, Zoë Modiga, Langa Mavuso, Mandisi Dyantyis and Thandiswa Mazwai. BandaBanda details to Sowetan the process of making Zinza, his new 17-track album, with guest appearances by Modiga, Fatoumata Diawara, Mpho Sebina and others.

Why is now the right time to release this project? 

I’m always the guy who makes sure people are taken care of, either musically or on the business side. I conceptualised the project in 2020, and then I paused the artist side of me for half a decade so I could take care of others. So going back to doing this music, I felt like I needed to take a step back so we can create more people that will also be part of this movement – a bigger legacy kind of movement – the people that can go into the world and scream “South Africa”, and people will know what we’re all about. Now, I feel like it’s time to pursue this project because most of these artists mentioned by the newer generation are becoming household names, but when we started, they were just other musicians. 

How did these artists encourage you to finish the project?   

I give credit to Zoë Modiga for encouraging me to finish it. I was taking my time because I felt like there were other things I needed to take care of, which is something that comes naturally to me: taking care of other people. She was the one person who was on my neck to finish this project. Through this work, I got to find out how it is to take care of myself.

As the self-appointed custodian of indigenous SA music, what does taking care of the industry mean?

I’ve worked with legacy artists, including the late Sibongile Khumalo, Busi Mhlongo, Jabu Khanyile, Madala Kunene and Hugh Masekela. In the last 10 years, I saw this breed of musicians and the interest in this genre of music was dying, especially in SA. I saw it befitting to activate that side of SA music and create this vault to preserve the music memories that we should have as a nation.

What can audiences anticipate from Zinza? 

There are surprises because a lot of people know me from different eras of my musical journey. I’m showing more layers of who I am musically and the belief I have in who we are as Africans. Zinza speaks to the state of being and settling into all the facets of who we are. It’s for everyone. Accepting the things that are broken about us, our healing, our losses, our wins. I’m singing on the album, something new that people have not experienced from my side.