eSwatini: CollaboNation shares new tracks

The songs, ‘Sek'sedvute’ by Thobile Makhoyane (eSwatini) and The Hood Brodz (Mozambique) and ‘Chisimo’ by Mokoomba (Zimbabwe) and Morena Leraba (Lesotho), are accompanied by videos that were shot at the 2023 MTN Bushfire festival in May. They were produced by the newly formed Bushfire Records and distributed globally via Berlin-based label Paradise Worldwide.

“These are the first tracks produced by CollaboNation, an annual project that aims to create dynamic new content, support arts mobility in Africa and expand the reach of artist brands through the cross-pollination of fan bases,” House on Fire and MTN Bushfire creative director Jiggs Thorne said.

‘Sek'sedvute’ is a Swazi word meaning ‘close’ while ‘Chisimo’ is a Bantu word meaning ‘riddle’ in Luvale, which is spoken in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Angola.

Mokoomba and Morena Leraba described ‘Chisimo’ as “a musical marriage that becomes a journey of affirming and discovering similarities and connections within our Bantu languages. In an ever-changing global culture, where colonialism – in Africa and other regions – shaped many of our institutions, it is crucial to safeguard and preserve our indigenous languages, especially when the idea of decolonisation is presented.”

On their part, The Hood Brodz said Sek'sedvute’ “reveals the dream that we all have inside of us – that one day we can wake up in the middle of accomplishments.”

There has already been positive feedback for ‘Sek'sedvute’ and ‘Chisimo’, with veteran South African DJ, podcaster, editor and journalist Charles Leonard describing the latter as an evocative and tightly produced track.

“The intro already forces you to put down everything else, then the horns kick in,” Leonard said. “Morena’s superb voice is an instrument on its own. It’s completely modern while proudly positioned in the Southern African region’s roots. SADC’s finest show how you can sound. They really put the ‘collab’ in CollaboNation.”

“A truly special encounter between Lesotho and Zimbabwe that echoes across Africa, connecting the continent through a deeply rooted but futuristic interpretation of desert blues. Conceptually, lyrically and melodically, this is a powerful song on so many levels,” Kaya FM DJ and music curator Nicky B said about ‘Chisimo’.

She went on describe ‘Sek'sedvute’ as “a well-produced interplay of Mozambique electro with Swati spirituality. Ritualistic Afro-tech at its best.”

CollaboNation is an annual project by House on Fire funded by the Sound Connects Fund, an initiative of the Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) and Goethe-Institut. The Sound Connects Fund is made possible with funding from the ACP-EU Culture Programme, a project implemented by the Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States and funded by the European Union (EU). The fund is also co-funded by Goethe-Institut and Siemens Stiftung.

Watch the videos for ‘Sek'sedvute’ and ‘Chisimo’ below: