Chronicle Editor
Showbiz Reporter
Sha Sha, the Queen of Amapiano, has teamed up with Afro Soul songstress Ami Faku to deliver Themba Lami released yesterday on all digital platforms.
Themba Lami is the second single from Sha Sha’s upcoming album I’M Alive and comes after she dropped Ungowami to launch the album pre-order.
Themba Lami was born out of heartbreak and break up stories shared by Sha Sha and Ami during a studio session.
Speaking about the single, Sha Sha said: “Themba Lami is about how we as women keep giving so much to men, but don’t get it back.
“It shows women’s vulnerability (which can be toxic sometimes). We decided to put all of that in a record and I hope everyone enjoys it.”
The Sha Sha and Ami collaboration was inevitable, given the chemistry between the two songstresses and their unique, yet complementary, music and overall styles.
The two are also friends who have worked together before so a collaboration for Sha Sha’s album was only a matter of time.
Reflecting on how the collaboration came about, Sha Sha says after connecting with Ami on Instagram, the two worked on three songs.
“This was at the time we worked on Nomfundo Moh’s Phakade Lami. Our heartbreak and love stories are all embedded in this track one way or the other,” said Sha Sha.
The video for Themba Lami was shot this past Wednesday in the leafy suburbs of Houghton, Johannesburg inside a grand Victorian-style house.
The music video is made up of a trio of main scenes, with love being the overarching theme and connects to the track’s title – Themba Lami – with moments that capture the true essence of the sisterhood at the heart of this collaboration.
Music video director Lenzo Dlamini explained the inspiration behind the track.
“When you listen to the song you get a sense of how intimate it is. I went with a feel and concept that is more inviting into the artists’ personal space, matching the message of the song. We create spaces and setting that feels like it’s their own rooms where they can confide in one another.”
The video will drop during Women’s Month, leading up to the release of I’M Alive.
Sha Sha, who hails from Mutare in Zimbabwe, has rapidly ascended the music industry to claim the “queen of amapiano” title through a slate of high-profile collaborations as well as her own releases.
She appears on the South African number one hit – Nomfundo Moh’s Phakade Lami featuring Sha Sha and Ami Faku and her collaboration with serial hit maker Kamo Mpela, iPiano, has recently been released as a music video.
Sha Sha earned her first international award in 2020 when she took home the Viewer’s Choice Best New International Act award at the prestigious BET Awards, becoming the first Zimbabwean to receive the honour.
Online Reporter