Simphiwe Dana – Firebrand

After 10 years in the music industry and with countless accolades under her belt, Simphiwe Dana  continues to defy conventions. While recognized as one of South Africa’s most talented female voices of all time, her public image has long been fraught with contradictions. She remains an island unto herself, with little interest in the various highs and lows that come with being a celebrity in South Africa. Blessed with a singularly powerful voice, this strength is counterbalanced by an apparent fragility – evident in her teary breakdowns during TV interviews, for example - and a resulting tendency to be misunderstood by her potential fans, who cannot relate to her as easily as they might to a Zahara or Thandiswa, for example. The scar she picked up during a near-fatal car accident in 2005, while eight months pregnant, emphasized this contradiction of fragility and indestructability.

Dana’s fourth album, Firebrand, signals a newfound maturity and comfort in her personal sound and style. Recorded back in 2013, its release was delayed due to the collapse of her former label Gallo. Finally released in late 2014 on Sony, the release is significant for a number of reasons.

Unlike her previous three efforts - Zandisile (2004), The One Love Moment On Bantu Biko Street (2007) and Kulture Noir (2010) – Firebrand is a more personal, intimate look as the singer becomes more comfortable in her own skin. In her choice of title, Ms Dana has identified herself as “a person who is very passionate about a particular cause”. In public, the singer has become more outspoken about issues close to her heart. In recent years she has channeled her voice into her blog and social media, most recently voicing her views on the ongoing student protests over fee increases at South African universities. ‘Nzima’, the first single from the new album, is dedicated to the striking miners killed by police in August 2012, a watershed moment in the history of post-apartheid South Africa.

On the title track, which opens the album, she proclaims: “The firebrands, they burn from both ends. That is the way it should be... I’ve laid down the best part of me, did everything for you. You know nothing about walking in my shoes”. Despite being a household name, few listeners would be able to claim to know what goes on inside her head or heart, but this album attempts to give us a glimpse. In the liner notes she elaborates: “I am thankful for the past four years’ experiences that have filled me up to a bursting point where I had to give birth to all these emotions… I am grateful I got to experience it all – to capture it and bring it to you. I am a firebrand just blazing through. This is my ode to the firebrands.”

Working closely with South African-based Nigerian jazz guitarist and producer Kunle Ayo, as well as Nigerian session musos Oluwaseun Idowu (keys), Sam Ibeh (drums) and Sam Amaeshi (bass), Dana treads deeper into the pan-African (or world music) market. Also in studio were a host of top local musos, led by Afrika Mkhize on piano. Significantly, it’s the first time she’s recorded songs in English, after years of adamantly sticking to her native isiXhosa – a decision that in the past may have cut short her international opportunities. New tracks like ‘Killjoy’, ‘Roll Me Down’, ‘Masterpiece’ and the radio-friendly ‘My Light’ are a fairly drastic departure from what her fans have come to expect, but emphasise the singer’s growth into more global territory. Elsewhere she stays true to her soul and jazz roots on downtempo tracks like ‘Nzinga, ‘Sarah’, ‘Chibok’ and ‘Was It All?’. ‘Jiya Jiya’ stands out for its faster, marabi-inspired guitar groove.

The album ends with ‘Madiba’, a haunting, stripped down dedication to the late Nelson Mandela, that hints at the journey Dana is still on, “Dare I linger, my long walk isn’t ended, I’m on my way”. While many of her former rival divas have long since disappeared, with Firebrand, one gets the impression that Simphiwe Dana has only just begun to find her true voice.

Buy the album on iTunes here.