SA: Azana shares Shona Malanga single

The track, off her sophomore album IGAGU set for release on 27 October, is available for streaming and download on various major digital platforms.

‘Shona Malanga’ is a love song describing the singer’s aching need to see his partner. “Days have gone by without me seeing my fiancé who has gone for work and I plead [with] him to come back because we need to prepare for our wedding day,” Azana said.

With IGAGU set to hit the streets in three months, fans will be treated to a mix of Afro-pop, Afro-house and Afro-tech songs, which highlight Azana’s vocal talent and creative diversity. Igagu refers to a group of people singing or dancing, where there is often an individual who stands out. This individual exudes confidence, passion and leads the crowd.

“In my language IsiZulu, this individual is called igagu,” Azana said. “Because of the love I have for music and the arts, I have always stood out. I participated in music my whole school period and as I grew older, I gained confidence to direct and lead in the choirs I was in and became igagu.”

Born Makhosazana Princess Masongo in Durban, Azana’s vocal abilities have been compared to those of music heavyweights like Cama Gwini, Simphiwe Dana, Letta Mbulu, Nina Simone and Erykah Badu. She has worked with top South African artists such as Sun-El Musician, Prince Kaybee and Lowsheen.