Sjava, Big Zulu, new music Inkabi Zezwe. Image: Supplied
Inkabi Zezwe's highly anticipated album Ukhamba has finally been released. The duo swept South Africans off their feet with their fresh top-charting love anthem, ‘Umbayimbayi’ which has since gone double-platinum with its official music video garnering over 1.3 million views in ten days.
As a duo, Sjava and Big Zulu make up Inkabi Zezwe, a project that celebrates the connection they have as Zulu brothers and musicians. This collaboration places them at the precipice of an interesting moment in music and culture.
Their music as individual artists travel back and forth through traditional isiZulu musical forms and more contemporary musical expressions. Sjava is R&B and Afropop / Hip-Hop inclined whereas Big Zulu uses Hip-Hop / Rap to negotiate his musical identity.
This ambivalence of genres is a prime opportunity to imagine and create music that is not only an autobiographical anecdote of their intimate worlds but as artists who are attentive to contemporary South Africa. Their new music explores everything that matters to them, love, intimacy, joy, aspiration, and people. Inkabi Zezwe is about community and the beauty of shared experiences.
From the onset ‘Umbayimbayi’ dominated streaming platforms peaking at #1 on Spotify’s Made in South Africa and Bhinca Nation playlists. On Apple Music, ‘Umbayimbayi’ held the #1 position on the Top 25 Johannesburg, Durban, and Top 100 South Africa Charts, while claiming the #1 spot on iTunes. On TikTok, the official ‘Umbayimbayi’ sound has been a fan-favorite and now sits at over 236K creations on the app. Additionally, the hit song claimed the #1 spot on South African radio for three consecutive weeks.
Leroy Khoza label executive of Nkabi Records said, “As the Nkabi label executive, we formulated the idea of these two giants collaborating together. We are thrilled that the single exceeded our expectations and are eager to see the success of the Album Ukhamba coming to life.”
With Ukhamba, Inkabi Zezwe hopes to bring listeners much deeper into their world. The album was recorded in Bergville over a period of two weeks and Bergville became a source of inspiration to the kinds of sounds the musicians would gravitate towards.
“As 1020 Cartel we’re really excited about Ukhamba because it really is a moment for the Culture. Not only are Big Zulu and Sjava proving that collaboration can build, grow and multiply the art and legacy; they are doing so in a way that’s authentic and pays homage to who they truly are. And that goes to the heart of what the Cartel is about. Ukuziqhenya ngobuwena.” Commented 1020 Cartel co- director, Nothando Migogo
“The album Ukhamba has twelve tracks where we started off the by giving the fans a taste of the double platinum single Umbayimbayi where the musician's first line is them prophesying love to their love interest, and they would shoot mountains to solve any challenges the partner encounter.
A continuation of this is a heartbreak song “Sayona fans would definitely relate to it. Sjava says, “Sayona is a song dedicated to two people that love each other, however, due to their past mistakes they cannot seem to find a common ground and they reflect on their past mistakes.”
Produced by Xowla Shabalala, also known as Stallion and Mfanafuthi ‘Ruff’ Nkosi, the project is filled with elements of Afropop, R&B, Hip-Hop, and Maskandi, celebrating both Sjava and Big Zulu’s sonic inclinations. Thematically they tackle their innermost concerns such as love and identity, with their own Zuluness at the forefront of the conversation.
Still, the messaging is universal as ‘Ukhamba’ is, at its core, preoccupied with how people can hold community, affection, and sensitivity for themselves and those around them. Over twelve captivating tracks, Inkabi Zezwe takes listeners on a riveting journey that feels personal but reflects a nation back to itself and will become a significant contemporary South African anthology.
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