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Bongani Ndlovu Entertainment Correspondent
MALIAN artiste Salif Keita is putting final touches on the collaborative single, African Paradox, from the album Manifesto by Zimbabwean artiste Willom Tight.
Keita developed an interest in the song last year after he listened to Tight’s album.
Posting on his Facebook wall, Willom Tight said the Lion of Mansa, as Keita is known, was in Bamako and would send the song by the weekend.
“Just spoke to Salif Keita from his personal recording studio in Bamako, Mali, said he is almost done and was putting final touches to his version of African Paradox, which he will be sending on Saturday,” he said.
Tight said there would be two versions of the song, one that was recorded at Shamiso Music in South Africa and the other recorded in Mali.
“This means that there will be two versions of the single African Paradox on the Manifesto album. The first version was recorded at Shamiso Studios in Jozi and the second version is being recorded in Mali to give it the full ‘Lion of Mansa’ feel,” he said.
Tight added that African Paradox’s lyrics were an inspiration to Keita, hence he decided to have another version. He said there would be a music video to go with the song.
“Watch out for the music video, which will be out in March. Salif Keita who is a direct descendant of Sundiata Keita, the founder of the Mali Empire, said the single African Paradox is so close to his heart, hence he decided to do another version in his private studio in Bamako. He said the lyrics are a true reflection of the current state of affairs in Africa, which needs to be addressed,” he said.
According to Keita, Tight said the only solution to Africa’s problems was for Africans to come up with their own solutions.
“The only solution according to Salif Keita is to work towards building a better Africa, which is Africa beyond infinity,” he said.
Born Wilbroad Muponda, Willom Tight has a 15 track album, which has tracks such as Imi Munosara Naani, Africa, Mvura Naya Naya and Summer Love, among others.
Tight’s collaboration with Keita has been selected as the main song for an international movie-documentary which is scheduled to debut in March.
Tight made waves on the local scene when he released the album Ndinoda Wangu in 2000 before releasing another scintillating one Hodzeko in 2003, both under Shamiso Music and Entertainment.
He was to part ways with the company and went on to record Kuza Ngoma in 2008 and Chinyerere in 2011.
Online Reporter