By Iminza Keboge
Published July 9, 2020
As the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) hangs over the world, killing people, destroying livelihoods and challenging worldviews, it is easy to despair.
But Black Umfolosi, a 38-year-strong performing group from Bulawayo in Zimbabwean, as if to give hope to the despairing, has lined up 11 joyous Gospel songs that any lover of velvety harmonies, tight percussion and subtly evolving melodies will not only pay attention to but also dance to on an album titled Washabalal’ Umhlaba: Earth Song.
The a cappella album, that is scheduled for release on July 24, also features an energetic mix of drums, shaker, clapping and whistling song titled The Ihoso Beat.
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The first track on the album, Coming Your Way, is a prayer for ‘time for happiness’ and ‘Let our footsteps last forever’.
The next song, Usemafini, glorifies the ‘Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Beginning and the End’.
Washabalal’ umhlaba, the title track, calls for the preservation of the Earth and and environment: “There are other generations to come after us and we can achieve a better earth by taking care of our environment because it takes care of us,” Black Umfolosi, who have been around since 1982, sing.
Yes, experts blame human factors as being the cause of devastating floods, drought, famine and even epidemics like Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The fixation of humans on making quick wealth at the expense of the planet is said to be causing Global warming that is changing the global climate with devastating consequences. Economic concepts such as return on investment (ROI), profit, the bottom-line and gross domestic product (GDP) are being blamed for the abuse of the environment by greedy humans.
No wonder these performers who are described as Zimbabwe’s Vocal Newspaper and Cultural Ambassadors due to their international success since the group was founded in 1982, and for their commentary on the environment, culture and wish to unify mankind, are forced to address the problem in their Earth Song.
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“The song that first put the band on the map was the 2012 release of Unity which is renowned and loved in Zimbabwe,” says ARC Music of Britain, the record company that is releasing Washabalal’ Umhlaba: Earth Song album. “The track is often used for commercials on Independence Day due to its message of uniting all people and the importance of peace for development to take place. The message of the song is based on an African Proverb which is the ongoing ethos of Black Umfolosi: ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together’.”
“Our music is not only a form of entertainment but a means to spread love and peace. There is a need for racial and social injustices to be alleviated. We support the Black Lives Matter movement because our concern as musicians and world travellers is that this would be a lovely world if there was peace, respect and love at the forefront of every human relationship,” says Thomeki Dube of Black Umfolosi. “We embrace cultural differences and do not see people for the race they belong to; we see diversity amongst humans as something beautiful. Music unites everyone from different ethnic backgrounds, race, gender and age, and just as our music is impactful without colour, so should be everything else.”
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The tracks on the new album are:
- Coming Your Way
- Usemafini
- Washabalal’umhlaba
- Izono Zethu
- Busis’abazali
- 1944 Fulele
- Isivivinyo
- Our Lord
- Ihoso Beat
- Ngikukhulisile
- Ikhaya Elihle.
