Back with a bang

Sibusiso Ntshangase,  who is popularly known as Sbu of Amaloya fame, has made a comeback in the music industry with a new album. He was in the country last Saturday to strike a deal with Swazi Boy for his album launch, which will take place at Café de Flore at the end of June.

Gcwala had a chance to interview the artist on his musical journey and his new offering.
It’s taken a Kwaito stalwart to create the Afro centric album of 2009 - and against some of the harshest odds too. The artist is Sbu and the album ‘Mbalenhle’ which has the makings of a classic record, drawing in an at times dazzling array of musical influences – Afro-jazz, Afro-pop, Afro-soul and traditional among them.

In the end, ‘though, the 13-track album delivers a fresh and intoxicating sound that brings new meaning to these overworked words.
Sbu is the first to admit that finally seeing ‘Mbalenhle’ on retail shelves was no easy feat: in the five years since he last released a solo album, Sbu has faced challenges both personal and professional so the fact that his 2009 record delivers such a satisfying listen is something he’s thankful for.

Indeed, Sbu makes this statement right out of the gate, with the first track on ‘Mbalenhle’, titled simply ‘Ngiyababonga’. “It’s a song that acknowledges the support of the people who never turned away from me, even during the hardest time,” Sbu says – and his decision to collaborate with Bhamu Ntabeni on the track in particular signals the gratitude he feels towards those people who have played a significant role in his music career.

“Bhamu is really the one individual who allowed me to see myself as more than simply a singer – but as a fully-rounded creative individual who could also write songs and perform,” Sbu says – and he’s not wrong: Early in his career and following a stint which had seen Sbu work with Mbongeni Ngema (he was part of the ‘Sarafina’ cast that was meant to tour Europe until it fell through) and then connect with Lindelani Mkhize (now one of the country’s most highly regarded producers and songwriters), Sbu abandoned a beckoning career in electrical engineering and joined the “Father of Black Theatre” the late Gibson Kente.

There he met Ntabeni who swiftly became his mentor, teaching Sbu to sing, dance and compose music – skills he has deployed over his lengthy career.
It’s fitting then, that Ntabeni plays the role of close creative comrade on ‘Mbalenhle’ and his influence is apparent in the new musical direction that Sbu is taking on his 2009 album.

“It was amazing how it happened. I was in Soweto and bumped into him after years just out of the blue. He asked where I’d been because he hadn’t seen me around or on television and I told him that I was working on a new album and we decided to get together. The rest is history.”

Actually, those who know Sbu’s background should not be too surprised that his music has veered into a far more sophisticated, musically articulate and adventurous terrain.
From those early days of working with Ntabeni and Kente, Sbu has been able to immerse himself in the serious side of culture as well as being at the forefront of contemporary music – most notably kwaito. It was into this music form that Sbu took his years of experience working with pop maestro, Sello “Chicco” Twala and become a force to be reckoned with in the emerging genre, working with the likes of Mdu Masilela (on 1994’s ‘Tsikitsiki’ and 1995’s ‘Y U 4 Me’) and forming the important kwaito act, Mashamplani with him.

In 1997 Sbu released his first solo album – ‘Amalawyer’ – which spawned a nickname that still holds today and went on to sell gold, along the way establishing him as a bonafide solo artist.  

The success of his debut album gave him confidence to release his 1998 follow-up album ‘Mzala’ which featured the group TKZee, and sold 45 000 copies.
In 1999, Sbu took a break from performing as a solo artist and became instrumental in the formation of the collaborative group TKZee Family which was made up of Sbu, Tokollo, Zwai, Kabelo, Loyiso, Gwaiza and Dr Mageu.

In 2000, Sbu recorded his third solo album, ‘Inja Yangasese’ which featured the highly sought after Jazz vocalist Gloria Bosman. With this album, Sbu was beginning to lay the foundation for a new musical direction. The album sold more than 20 000 copies.

Sbu’s fourth album, the Gold-selling ‘Angazi Kanjani’ was released in 2001 along with the TKZee Family’s ‘Guz 2001’ which sold a massive 150 000 copies and featured the South African Music Award winning single “Izinja Zami”. Since then Sbu has released the albums ‘Ibhodlela’ (2002) and ‘Maximising’ (2004) as well as worked as a songwriter with the likes of Ntokozo Zungu and Dr. Mageu.

It’s not hard to hear the remains of Sbu’s kwaito days on ‘Mba-lenhle’: the closing track on the album ‘Ung’ thandile’ (featuring Mdu Ntombela) features a storming kwaito beat that allows S’bu and Ntombela to deliver vocals that pay tribute to Sbu’s partner for all the support she has given him over the years.

“Even when I was scraping together a few hundred Rands to go back into the studio, she supported me,” he reveals. “She would always say that I will regret it if I don’t see this through to the end and I am very grateful to her for that support.”

There are also strains of contemporary dance grooves on ‘Waji-keleza’ – a song that takes aim at men and women who are not faithful to their partners.
The song features Gloria Bosman on vocals, rejoining Sbu with an artist who was a guest on his 2000 album ‘Inja Yangasese’ and has since gone on to enjoy a very respectable solo career.

Bosman is the most well-known collaborator on ‘Mbalenhle’. The likes of Ntabeni, Bheki Ngqoko, Tshenelo and Ntombela are not household names. “I had no budget for well known artists,” Sbu says, with a smile. “Actually that is not the reason why I have used relative unknowns on the album. It’s because I was given the chance to shine on other’s albums in the early days of my career and I want to be able to do the same.”

The results of Sbu’s creative collaborations are pretty spectacular: the Tshenelo-starring ‘Sophie’ (about women who only date wealthy men) is one of the album’s standout, melding unashamed traditional grooves with lyrics that are spot-on 21st century. And the raggae-influenced ‘Mama’ featuring Ngqoko simply sparkles as a tribute to S’bu’s mother, “and mothers all over the world”, he says.

That Sbu feels at ease incorporating reggae rhythms into a song says a great deal about how naturally versatile he is. “I gave myself no musical limitations in recording this album – my guide was freedom of expression in its most pure form.”
And, for fans, the result is an album that delivers a high-end music experience (the players include the likes of Fana Zulu on bass, Stimela’s Ntokozo Zungu on guitar and Blacky Sibiya formerly with Step Ahead also on guitar) that ranges through a broad musical landscape whilst never losing sight of Sbu’s African roots.

It’s hard to pick a favourite amongst such a lush sonic landscape but ‘M’thakathi, a song whose intoxicating and rhythmical grooves belie its subject matter, is one – as is the inspired ‘Amaqhawe’ which pays tribute to those who fought for freedom in South Africa.

The combination of Ntabeni’s music (that cleverly includes elements of signature struggle songs) and Sbu’s unbelievably catchy lyrics add up to one of the most uplifting songs you’re likely to hear in a long time.
Satisfied
“It hasn’t been easy getting this album done but when I listen to it I am really satisfied,” the artist says.
“Sure I could tweak a thing here or there but I believe I have delivered an album that has a long life; one that gives quality music fans something they can listen to over and over again.”

Indeed. There’s nothing throwaway about ‘Mbalenhle’. It’s an at times deeply personal view into one of South Africa’s most talented who loves being a family man (the album is named for his daughter) but who can never resist the pull to create songs that become a soundtrack to the lives of true music lovers.

Sbu also said he was in the process of organising the biggest jazz festival Swaziland has ever seen and he wanted to make Swaziland his second home fan-base. He said the festival would be planned for the beginning of summer.

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