Eastern Cape musicians Vuyisani Sholo, popularly known as Mr Vee Sholo, and Rapulana Mothlabane, aka Malume Womdantso, are set to release their much-anticipated single, Amaquza, on May 30.
They believe it will help take traditional music to mainstream audiences across SA and beyond.
The collaboration blends traditional Xhosa chants with Afro-house elements, creating what the artists describe as a modern yet culturally rooted dance song inspired by their Eastern Cape heritage.
Sholo said the song had deep personal and cultural meaning as it originated from chants traditionally sung during initiation-related gatherings in rural communities.
“Amaquza connects to my gwijo style.
“I remember when I was still a young boy we used to sing this song when taking food to the initiates,” he said.
“It is an old song with rich heritage attached to it and that is why it connects to my style because these are songs sung at traditional events [emicimbini].”
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Mdantsane-born gospel singer Ncebakazi Msomi will return home on Friday for the launch of her second solo album, 37th Psalm, at the Downtown Christian Centre in KuGompo City — her first major performance in the city after more than two decades away.
Msomi began her professional music career in 2010 after being signed by renowned South African gospel ensemble Joyous Celebration.
She said she was excited to perform for a hometown audience, with the event already sold out.
“Tonight is going to be a night where I bring my entire team from Johannesburg, while also incorporating elements from here in East London,” Msomi said.
“We are coming very excited. I must say, there is something very warm and different about home.
“I’ve done all my shows in Johannesburg before.
“When you establish yourself outside your hometown for so long, people there begin to adopt you, so I’ve been warmly received in Johannesburg and other provinces.
“But, as the saying goes, there is no place like home.”
Her opportunity came while she was singing as a backing vocalist during a church worship service attended by Joyous Celebration founder Lindelani Mkhize.
She went on to spend seven years with the group, performing songs including Wachithigazi and building a national profile within the gospel music industry.
Msomi released her debut solo album, 34th Psalm, in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
She said the project was inspired by Psalm 34 and was intended to encourage people during one of the most difficult periods in recent history.
“The album encouraged people not to lose hope or become discouraged, but to look to God as the solution during the dark time we were going through,” she said.
Her new album, 37th Psalm, explores themes centred on the Trinity and spiritual restoration.
“So this album is called 37th Psalm — God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,” Msomi said.
“God gave me songs that focus on His role as the Father and head of the church, the role of the Holy Spirit as the helper of the church, and Jesus Christ as the redeemer and saviour of the church.
“The songs are very evangelical in nature in that they are calling people to be restored to their original position with God.”
The album features the Assemblies of God choir and includes songs such as Bulelani uYehova Hymn and Yebo Nguye.
Msomi said the launch would include surprise guest appearances and would also be televised.
She said audiences should expect more than just entertainment.
“People should come expecting a personal encounter and not approach it with a collective-experience mindset,” she said.
What we are used to doing in Johannesburg must also be brought here — if not better — because that is how seriously I take my hometown
Msomi said she was determined to deliver a production that matched the standards of major Johannesburg performances, saying audiences in her hometown deserved the same level of excellence.
“I came here with the intention of not treating this as a small-town show,” she said.
“I want to bring the very best experience.
“What we are used to doing in Johannesburg must also be brought here — if not better — because that is how seriously I take my hometown.
“I do not think we should cut corners for the people of my hometown. They do not deserve any less than what we are bringing.”
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Sholo said while many traditional gwijo songs were often composed spontaneously and lost their original meaning over time, he wanted this version to carry a clear storyline and emotional message.
“I told Malume that since we are doing this song, let’s give it context so it makes an impact.
“The context is that Malume was in love and his girlfriend left him for someone else, making him ‘iquza’. That was my role in shaping the song,” he said.
Sholo said combining Afro-house with igwijo was important in preserving the genre for younger generations and international audiences.
“I have written dance music for years, so the reason it is important to blend Afro-house with igwijo is so the music does not die.
“Usually you only hear igwijo at traditional gatherings, and some people abroad cannot attend imigidi or stream them,” he said.
“By blending it with Afro-house, we are making igwijo relevant to other audiences and races globally so the music is preserved in a relevant way in today’s time.”
Former Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi and her husband engineer Luthando Bolowana are marking a milestone in their union.
On March 22 2025, the couple had their white wedding at Belair Pavilion in Paarl in the Western Cape which was a star-studded affair whose guests included Anele Mdoda, AmaQamata, Connie Ferguson, Basetsana Kumalo, among others, and Nomzamo Mbatha, who was the MC.
One of the most romantic viral moments from their wedding day was Zozi singing a song she had written for her husband, alongside singer Muneyi.
Zozibini took to her timeline on Sunday to share glimpses from their special day in celebration of their first anniversary.
“One beautiful year! A million lifetimes to go,” she captioned the post.
When previously recounting her special day, Zozibini told Sunday Times how the rain on the day felt like a blessing.
“I woke up on my white wedding day and it was raining. I was concerned and crying, and he [Luthando] called me to reassure me that everything that happened on the day was meant to happen. As I was driving out of the hotel to the venue, my little sister said the rain was stopping,” she said.
“A magical thing happened when I walked down the aisle, and it stopped raining when we exchanged vows. That’s when the sun came out, and it was such a beautiful thing. That’s my best memory — knowing everything was there for us. The rain was a blessing, and the sun coming out was an even bigger blessing.”
Luthando and Zozi come from the same village, his home just a stone’s throw from hers.
“Our families have always known each other, but strangely we were never in the same spaces. We are both very reserved people, so we were never really outside a lot. Neither of us lived in the village, but we’d come home to it during the holidays. We officially met properly on my 21st birthday, and then we started talking and became friends.”
They began dating in 2016, but it was only a year later that Zozi knew he was the one.
“I like to get to know people slowly. I don’t just jump into things. But as time went by, it became very clear to me that he would definitely be that one person I would take this huge decision with.
“Luthando is my absolute best friend. He is the kindest person I know, and the most consistent. It just felt right. I love kind people and gravitate towards them — those who have the same moral compass as I do.
“He was there after Miss South Africa and Miss Universe, and was always so supportive and sure. He feels sure and safe.
“He lives outside the spotlight and honestly does not want to be centre stage — but he wants it for me. He drove me around to all the Miss South Africa auditions, always making sure I was there on time. He was more than happy just to stand behind me and support me the whole time. I left for New York and stayed there a long time, and he was very secure about that.”
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Though the production was modernised, the original chorus remained untouched.
“We sang the chorus as it was originally composed.
“We did not change it, but we made the beat upbeat so it can become a dancefloor song,” he said.
Sholo described the song as a symbol of Eastern Cape pride.
“The song itself carries our identity and pride as Eastern Cape people because igwijo is our thing.
“It is already popular in the Eastern Cape and now we are carrying it to other provinces and to the world,” he said.
“People must have fun when listening to this song and enjoy the beat, and those who relate to the message will also connect with it.”
Mothlabane said the concept for Amaquza was created in 2025 after drawing inspiration from a personal heartbreak experience.
“The song is about a girl I was in love with, but she was taken from me by big boys with money and cars, so in the song I am addressing that,” he said.
He said his love for traditional music came from his rural upbringing.
“Since I grew up in the rural areas, I have always loved traditional songs, so I decided to venture into igwijo sounds, but I did not have a producer for that,” Mothlabane said.
“I tried doing a hook and it sounded good and eventually became this song.”
An Eastern Cape reggae artist who once turned down an international record deal to focus on his studies has now signed with a New York-based label — nearly a decade after first being discovered.
Furah Dread, whose real name is Fundile Guqa, has secured a two-year contract with Jamaica International Records, marking a breakthrough moment in a journey built largely on independent releases and persistence.
The 34-year-old singer and songwriter, originally from Mbizana and now based in Mthatha, was previously featured in the Dispatch in 2019. He is also an aspiring filmmaker.
Guqa said his relationship with the label dated back to 2017, following the release of his single Smoking.
“I started promoting the song internationally, communicating with radio stations online.
“Some told me they had already found the song themselves and were playing it,” he said.
He said Jamaica International Radio began playing the track regularly, which led to interest from label owner Robert Strawder.
“The owner of the station, who also owns the label, wanted to know if I was signed.
“They wanted to offer me a contract,” he said.
I felt being a student would take up most of my time and complicate things if I recorded music and studied at the same time
Guqa was initially offered a five-year deal but declined after receiving a bursary from the Eastern Cape Provincial Arts and Culture Council to study film at Afda in Durban in 2019.
“I felt being a student would take up most of my time and complicate things if I recorded music and studied at the same time,” he said.
Despite turning down the deal, he continued releasing music independently.
His track, I Was a Prisoner, tells the story of a man wrongfully accused of sexual assault.
“It is about the abuse of men for a change.
“There are many languishing in prison accused of things they did not do,” he said.
He followed up with People Must Stop in 2020, which speaks against violence, and later released Heart Is Smart, which became his biggest international hit.
The song topped charts on radio stations in countries including the US, Portugal, England and Honduras.
Guqa paused his music career during the Covid-19 lockdown while completing his film studies, before returning in 2024 with Let Us Be One, a song promoting unity and ethical leadership.
He said he had remained in contact with the label over the years.
“Though I had cancelled the first contract, I promised to let him know when I was ready.
“When he asked again recently, I told him I was now ready,” he said.
The contract was signed on March 11.
Under the agreement, Guqa will record six songs a year over two years, while retaining creative control.
“The deal allows me to record in my own way, in my preferred studio in South Africa, with the company funding everything,” he said.
He said ownership of his music would rfevert to him after the contract ended.
“After the contract expires, all the music rights revert back to me, meaning I will own everything I have created,” he said.
Guqa said he hoped to follow in the footsteps of late reggae icon Lucky Dube.
He said his musical journey began with kwaito before he discovered reggae through music played in a shop in Mbizana, where he was introduced to artists such as Bob Marley and Peter Tosh.
Despite international recognition, he said his music was often misclassified.
“Often stations say my music is unique, but they classify it as pop or hip hop.
“My music is a mix of many things, but I would like to see reggae get more recognition in this country and globally.”
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Known largely for his dancing and entertaining gimmicks on social media, Mothlabane said the single marked a new chapter in his music career as he worked on his upcoming album.
“People know me with gimmicks and dancing, but now I am halfway done with my album with five songs completed and I am singing by myself,” he said.
He credited Sholo for helping elevate igwijo into mainstream studio production.
“As we know, amagwijo did not used to make it to mainstream media, but Mr Vee put it on another level by recording it in studio and now many artists practise this style.
“With this release we are amplifying that,” he said.
Mothlabane said early reactions to snippets shared online had given him hope that Amaquza could become his breakthrough hit.
“I believe this song is going to be my breakthrough, I pray to God he hears me.”
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