Bongeziwe Mabandla - IIMINI

REKKID of the month

During lockdown in 2020 I discovered a South African artist, Bongeziwe Mabandla. Like most of us I was stuck at home and scrolling endlessly through lists of rekkids online when his name popped up. Released in 2020 on the Platoon label, his 3rd studio album iimini caught my eye.

At the time all 'non-essential' stores in South Africa weren't able to trade and so it would be a few more months till I had the wax in hand. Till then, thankfully I had Spotify to hand to get to know this album. To say I was blown away is not understating it. From the first track on the rekkid, Bongeziwe's smooth sultry vocal captures you and holds you like a warm hug from a long lost friend. I've read a few reviews and the general consensus is that this singer-song writer falls somewhere in between folk and soul, if we had to name the genre but that only tells a small part of the story.

The story telling on iimini, 'the days' even though in his native Xhosa tongue is a universal story of love. His vocal has been likened to Bon Iver in the past and the melancholic tones of songs like Zange (never) that really carries. Honestly, the entire album from start to finish is a beautifully told story that you'd be hard pressed to pick a favourite track from.

What's perhaps even more amazing is that this rekkid was recorded in only 21 days. I've read some interviews where he mentioned that it was more like 2 years in the making, writing a lot of this on the road and finally came together on a break in Greece.

It's been a long time since a South African artist has impressed me this much and even more so that he released this on vinyl.

Highly recommend.

Find the album on Spotify / Deezer or contact your local dealer for the real deal on vinyl!