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Kundai Marunya Arts Correspondent
Uniqueness in music delivery is what often sets artistes apart, separating the great from the rest.
The search for a different sound that is out of this world has taken local duo, Bantu Spaceship, to greater heights, propping them up on the international scene.
Still not very well known at home, the duo of Ulenni Okandlovu and Joshua Madalitso Chiundiza, who fuse hip-hop with a feel of sungura, ibumbe, Chimurenga and trap, have the bragging rights of attracting international acts and producers on their debut self-titled album “Bantu Spaceship”.
They are the first local artistes of their generation to avail an album on vinyl, something even the legends have long abandoned for over a decade.
Vinyl, closely linked to the past, makes sense for the collectable album which intentionally takes listeners on a journey through time, a feel of the past and a sound for the future.
Okandlovu said they will only produce a limited number of vinyl copies.
“We only have a limited number of copies of vinyl that are already on sell both locally and internationally,” he said.
Okandlovu said the duo will release their digital album next month.
“March 10, 2023 marks the launch date of Bantu Spaceship’s self titled debut album,” he said. “It is possibly a day that the unique musical rhythms Zimbabwe was once known for will be reinstated.”
Popular for an electric retro themed performance that mimicked 1990s television music show, “Ezomgido” at Shoko Festival a couple of years ago, Okandlovu promised uniqueness.
“Bantu Spaceship will have listeners embark on a journey that feels like you are being taken through a portal into another time, Afrofuturism,” he said. “The rhythms gives you a sense of the past, while you also sense the future with all the synth sounds.
“This album will have you playing it on repeat while you are travelling from town to village and vice versa. The temptation to call this work a masterpiece will be permitted if not echoed by audience members on-board.”
Produced by German-based Nyami Nyami records, “Bantu Spaceship” features South Africa’s Thandi Ntuli (who also contributed piano keys); Kwela Sekele and DJ Kid Fonque; locals sungura guitarist Sam Mabukwa of Ngosimbi Crew and Robson Banda.
The album eases in with some meditative wailing and humming that feels like an ancient call ferried by Gregorian chants.
Okandlovu then begins to lament an introspective spoken word piece inviting the listener to recall the ‘original composition’, asking if the listener is satisfied with its conclusion.
This is just one interpretation of the deep poetic language he uses.
This narration is accompanied by vibrating keys that transition into dancing synths ushering in the angelic voice of Thandi Ntuli soothing the track to a halt amid digital sound effects.
This intro, “Journey to Misava”, turns four minutes into a refreshing drawn out moment that feels too short when it ends.
Thank goodness it is only the beginning.
The second song on the album, “Bantu Spaceship” is an invitation to get on-board, hold tight and enjoy the ride. It is an upbeat, feel good track reminiscent of the Knight Rider theme music.
Okandlovu floats in with hearty self-uplifting appreciation of life which transforms into a rap that switches from laid back to bouncy to almost kwaito style.
The chorus is a catchy shout that speaks to a fun joy ride away from the worrisome world of terms and conditions.
“Don’t Break” immediately tickles the heart with its intricate sungura guitar riff and trap bass causing a tingling to the soul which is fuelled by the bouncy rhythm.
The song officially introduces the sounds of Zimbabwe’s classic music, seen through high tech lenses.
This is where the genius of Joshua Chiundiza really shows up, unmasked, as he unveils what is possibly the future of authentic Zimbabwean music.
Bantu Spaceship is an afro-electronic music duo consisting of vocalist, songwriter and fashionista Ulenni Okandlovu from Bulawayo and Joshua Chiundiza who is a DJ and producer from Harare.
The duo presents a hybrid sound, merging electro, hip hop and rap, with mbaqanga, imbube, sungura, jit, Chimurenga and other Bantu music styles.
Specifically borrowing elements from their Ndebele and Shona heritage, the duo blends two of Zimbabwe’s most dominant cultures into one foretelling and uncharted soundscape.
Chiundiza, who is also the proprietor of Husikisiki Studio’s work, explores the sonic, visual and spiritual aspects of his Chewa, Shona and Nguni heritage, taking on the form of music/sound recordings and performances, video art and performance art installation.
He is also co-founder of The Monkey Nuts, an experimental art collective also based in Harare.
“Prepare to be launched into a new paradigm,” said Chiundiza. “Thank goodness it’s only the beginning.”
Ulenni Okandlovu is a multifaceted artist who has previously collaborated with Polish producer DJ Sick on the single ‘Nkanyezi Yami’ in 2019.
As a media personality, he has edited and directed the popular local television youth show “Ndeipi Geng’a” for ZBC TV.
Online Reporter