SA’s Simphiwe Dana releases second single off upcoming Bamako album

The single, titled ‘Uzokhala’, is available for streaming and download here. ‘The track is the second release after ‘Usikhonzile’, which dropped in February. Dana, who has not released an album in the past five years, is expected to release Bamako at end of March.

“‘Uzokhala’ is a tongue-in-cheek kind of song and it’s basically meant for someone that you know, maybe a friend,” Simphiwe Dana told Music In Africa. “I always say that my songs are open to interpretation, but once they leave my hands they no longer belong to me, they belong to the people who listen to them.

“It’s radio friendly, it's upbeat and I think lyrically as well it’s a nice sing-along kind of song and that is why I chose it as a second single. The first one I put out because I wanted to basically show people what they can expect from the work.”

‘Uzokhala’ was written by Dana and has West African influences.

“Literally the whole album has a West African tint to it,” she said. “The reason why I named it Bamako is because I went to the city of Bamako in Mali to add some Malian instruments to the music. I worked with Salif Keita’s band on the album.”

The main message of ‘Uzokhala' is about treating all people with dignity and respect, she said.