There’s a parallel world which exists away from the mainstream: a chapel where miracles are performed through song; a stage deprived of ignorance; a universe welcoming and embracing of the other. I’ve been toying with the idea of doing a series of articles during the month of August about all the incredible women I’ve encountered in this world, through listening to their music. Since it’s never good to hold too long onto an idea, here’s part one of the few I’ve had the opportunity to photograph.
Fifi (pictured)
Fifi sings prophetic prose in rich Setswana; she strings words together and builds a bridge connecting us to distant dimensions. She’s been to the future and intends to manifest all the knowledge she gathered through her sonic inquisitions. She’s like a galactic ice cream truck which occasionally lands on earth to distribute heartwarming flavour. The whole world needs to hear her message!
Siya Makuzeni
I got to photograph Siya Makuzeni during a recording session with Swedish-based band Mama Rosin. I’d known about her through the work she’s done with Marcus Wyatt’s Language 12 and Carlo Mombelli’s Prisoners of Strange. Her new project is IppyFuze advances some of the electronic-based ideas she’s formed through the years. They've just released their roots rock EP on bandcamp. Check it.
Nozuko
I met Zu at a gig by The Brother Moves On and we became cool people in an instant. She heads Zuko Collective, a skilled family of musicians who add flair to her output. Lyrical themes revolve around women and self-love; motherhood; and standing up for one’s core values and beliefs regardless of consequences. Zuko Collective is a movement in progress; join the train.
Nonku
Nonku. Man, Nonku’s a rock star! She used to be down with Ill Skillz, and was part of a group called Pangea alongside Whosane and Jimmy Flexx. I’ve seen Nonku rise through the ranks — from performing in front of a handful of people, to controlling thousands of people alongside Crazy White Boy, an electronic music duo she’s recorded chart-topping music with. Lately she’s been shifting focus onto her own music, and has set up a live band with whom she’s begun gigging regularly.
Melo B. Jones
Boitumelo Mpye, or Melo B Jones, pours her heart into song. She dances with melody, slays harmony, and accesses definitions of love as it evolves, reaches a halt, and attempts to start again. Her songwriting, sometimes direct and sometimes more subdued, attempts to capture the growth pangs of a young, black woman surfing through the immaculate waves of a global beat.
