TGIF! with Vusa Mkhaya:
the Voice as Instrument,
Homecomings and
the Harmony of Ubuntu
I'm so happy to bring you this beautiful music from Vusa Mkhaya today. The founding member of award-winning vocal trio Insingizi last month released his first international solo release, Vocalism. A celebration of his favourite instrument, Vusa says, "Voices are, for me, the best and the first instrument. When I think of music I think voice."
All sorts of homecomings
Fusing elements of Zimbabwean and European tradition, the album at some point draws upon yodelling and Hungarian folk music and Vusa collaborates in part with local musicians in Bulawayo, where his career began.
"In Zimbabwe we have a saying, 'a child belongs to everyone in the village'. This is how I felt working on Vocalism in Bulawayo. When friends came in and contributed some ideas, they did not see the album as Vusa's ‘child’, but as theirs too. My success is their success and my struggle is their struggle."
Ubuntu at work! And a real homecoming:
"Bulawayo has all these great voices which have not been heard outside the city. I hope that the people that sing on the album will now be heard beyond the city of Bulawayo and Zimbabwe. I am really happy doing this here, and I will always [come back to] Bulawayo because this is the city that I love the most; I’ve been to so many cities around the world and, no offense to the other great cities that I’ve been to, but Bulawayo ‘does it’ for me, and I’m happy that, finally, we’ve come home."
Listen/watch to what he's talking about (click here if reading via RSS):
Ubuntu (click here if reading via RSS):
Watch the making of Vocalism (click here if reading via RSS):
Buy Vocalism on Amazon and iTunes, among other outlets. It's on my list for sure! Have a great weekend everybody.
Image via BBC News Africa (where you listen to Vusa talking about the joys of singing)