Biography
Bongeziwe Mabandla is a South African singer and musician. He has created a matchless Afro-folk sound over which his soulful voice delivers in both Xhosa and English. Influenced by artists like Tracy Chapman, Simphiwe Dana, Jabu Khanyile and Oliver Mtukudzi, his sound has a rhythmically grass-roots vibe, while fusing elements of traditional Xhosa music, Mbaqanga, Soul, Hip-hop and Dub.
Bongeziwe has performed some of the biggest festivals in South Africa including Cape Town World Music Festival, Oppikoppi and Rocking the Daisies, as well as Sakifo Festival in Reunion and Azgo Festival in Mozambique. His debut album Umlilo, received two nominations at the South African Music Awards 2013, for Best Newcomer and Best Adult African album categories.
2014 was been a big year for Bongeziwe Mabandla with his perfect blend of urban-African folk, heartfelt lyrics and honest delivery, seeing him take to the stage in Australia at the Australasian Worldwide Music Expo and the Mullumbimby Music Festival, Germany at Africa Festival, in Paris at Festival d’lle de France, at the renowned Primavera Sound Festival in Spain, at Sukiyaki Meets the World Festival in Japan. He took part in the One Beat program in the USA, an incubator for music-based social entrepreneurship where innovative musicians from around the world launch collaborative projects designed to make a positive impact on local and global communities. At home in South Africa he has collaborated with Joss Stone and Vieux Farka Toure on their South African tours.
2015 saw Bongeziwe play extensive run of shows across the globe; including a headline spot at Bushfire Festival in Swaziland, a comprehensive Canadian tour playing Nuits d' Afrique, Vancouver Folk Music Festival, Mission Folk Festival, Canmore Folk Festival and a second Australian tour including Woodford Folk Festival and Sydney Festival.
His follow up to Umlilo, titled Mangaliso (meaning “marvel” or “miracle”), is a worldclass record that confirms he’s among the most purposeful and gifted artists working in South Africa today. Among the highlights are first single, “Ndokulandela”, a hypnotic song that showcases Mabandla’s meditative, yet powerful, voice, “Bawo Wam” which carries with it the spirit of the ancient on a song built around a distinctively modern beat-heavy groove and “Khaya”, a track that reveals Mabandla’s guitarwork as among the most lyrical South Africa has produced.
Mangaliso was produced by Tiago Correia Paulo (Tumi and the Volume; 340ml) who also features, along with Mike Wright (Zebra & Giraffe), this new format has played some of the finest festivals in the region during 2017 including Sakifo Festival in Reunion Island, Zakifo Festival, Oppikoppi and Rocking the Daisies in South Africa.
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