Soweto power trio Shameless releases debut album Nkabi Rock

With Nkabi Rock, Shameless is not only redefining the sound of rock but also amplifying the voices of the township. Recorded live, Nkabi Rock captures the raw intensity and authenticity of Shameless’ electrifying performances. 

At the heart of Nkabi Rock is the single ‘Mission Impossible’, a collaboration with Portuguese heavy metal band Scúru Fitchádu, tackling the pervasive issues of rampant drug addiction – specifically the scourge of nyaope addiction in Soweto – and the resultant community decay.

“The song is very deep and from the heart. It shows how angry and tired we are of addicts who steal from people,” Shameless member Musa Zwane says. “We wanted to emerge with something powerful in our hands, the album is a testament to our resilience and passion for our craft.”

In a music scene dominated by hip hop and house-derived genres, Shameless stand out as pioneers of a new genre that they proudly call nkabi rock/i rock yase kasi (assassin rock or rock from the township in isiZulu).

Drawing inspiration from their upbringing and the rich musical tapestry of South Africa, Shameless’ sound is a captivating fusion of metal, hardcore, the blues, kwaito, mbaqanga, isigxaxa and a dash of jazz.

The trio consists of Zwane, Thabang Khonje and Thabo Masina, who are at the forefront of a growing movement of rock and alternative bands emerging from Soweto.

“Our music is an extension of rock,” Zwane says. “It’s a fusion of our diverse influences, reflecting the soul of the township.”

The band members met on stage at a local community jam session called Sawubona Music Jam where they instantly “knew they had fire and a musical connection like the holy trinity.”

They played their first shows without a name, but with their first batch of original songs. As the need for a name grew, they looked at themselves and their surroundings. Rock music is rare in the so-called ekasi (townships) – segregated neighbourhoods where black people were forced to live under apartheid.

Full of the energy of their music, they realised how “shameless” they were about mixing two cultures: Western rock music and African ekasi street culture.

They released their first EP Impicabadala in December 2021 whose single ‘4x4’ has since become something of a cult anthem in South African alternative communities.

From its DIY beginnings, Shameless has come a long way, from featuring in a Converse advert to playing the main stage at Afropunk Festival.