Bongeziwe Mabandla

Bongeziwe Mabandla is a South African musician based in Johannesburg, predominantly playing folk music with lyrics in isiXhosa, accompanied by a guitar.

Bongeziwe Mabandla
Background information
OriginTsolo, Eastern Cape, South Africa
GenresElectronic folk
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active2010–present
Labels
  • Platoon
  • Universal Music Group

Early life

Mabandla grew up in the rural Eastern Cape, in a small town called Tsolo. He grew up singing in church and music was a part of his home and school life. He moved to Johannesburg to continue his studies at AFDA, The School for the Creative Economy. Here he explored an expression of musical storytelling.

Career

Recorded in 2012, Mabandla's debut album, Umlilo,[1] caught the attention of Radio France Internationale Discoveries Awards, where he was named one of the Top 10 finalists in 2011. His second album, Mangaliso, was released in 2017[2] and expanded from the traditional Afro-Folk sound that Mabandla had become known for. With far more significant reach, the album earned Mabandla a SAMA (South African Music Awards) nomination for 2018 Best Alternative Album. The music video for the single "Bawo Bam" featured Spoek Mathambo, and received awards at the 2018 Capital City Black Film Awards and at the 2019 Jozi Film Fest.[3] Since the release of these two albums, Mabandla has performed on stages and at festivals across the world. This includes Reeperbahn Festival, WOMEX and Lake of Stars Festival Malawi.[4]

His third studio album, iiMini, was released on 27 March 2020.[5]

"Ukuthanda Wena" was released on April 3, 2023, as album's lead single.

Towards the end of April, Mabandla announced his upcoming fourth studio amaXesha, set to released on May 5, 2023.

Discography
  • Umlilo (2012)
  • Mangaliso (2017)
  • iiMini (2020)
  • AmaXesha(2023)

Singles

Yise (feat. Synapson)

In the song, Mabandla paints a picture of the hardships of growing up without his father and how it has made him a stronger person.

"The song looks at the effect that growing up without a father has had on my life. It is a constant journey of understanding the impact that this has had on my journey and I am thankful to have had a chance to explore it on this track. This song is super strong and very personal." —Bongeziwe Mabandla

Tours

Mangaliso Tour (2018)
Date Event City
22 September 2018 Festival Boreal Canarias, Spain
28 September 2018 It's Personal: With Bongeziwe Mabandla Soweto, Johannesburg
17 October 2018 MaMA Festival and Convention Paris, France
18 October 2018 Le Pediluve Chatenay Malabry, France
20 October 2018 Le VIP Saint-Nazaire, France
21 October 2018 6 PAR 4 Laval, France
24 October 2018 Bongeziwe Mabandla with Nakhane Paloma, France
26 October 2018 La Péniche Chalon Sur Saône, France
27 October 2018 La Chabada Angers, France

iiMini Tour (2020)

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this tour was postponed indefinitely.[6]

References
  1. Moncho-Maripane, Kgomotso (1 March 2018). "Channelling Tsolo's magic through music". Business Day. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  2. Khan, Atiyyah (9 January 2017). "Mabandla reaches deep within and the music flows anew". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  3. Jozi Film Festival
  4. Coetzer, Diane (14 November 2019). "Introducing... Bongeziwe Mabandla". Songlines. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  5. World Music Central News Department (1 April 2020). "South African Artist Bongeziwe Mabandla to Release iimini | World Music Central.org". Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  6. Neophytou, Nadia (6 April 2020). "Interview: Bongeziwe Mabandla's New Album Is a Calm Meditation On Relationships". OkayAfrica. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
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