BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
MALKERNS – Connecting Africa through Music!
Local Afro-singer artist Bholoja and X Stewart Sukuma from Mozambique have been unveiled as this year’s CollaboNation artists.
CollaboNation is MTN Bushfire’s arts development project, supported by MTN and produced by Bushfire Records. CollaboNation aims to connect and unite the continent through a series of unique music collaborations, supporting the weaving together of Africa’s rich and diverse musical genres and building linkages between cultural industries and networks. This was announced on the MTN Bushfire page today.
Born Mbongiseni Ngubane, he is considered one of the most relevant figures in the contemporary African music scene. After the success of his first album, Swazi Soul, released in 2009, Bholoja gained vast appreciation and earned ample recognition in Southern Africa, becoming the first liSwati artist to achieve international exposure solely through the works of his music.
He draws his inspiration from Swati tradition and seeks to preserve the country’s cultural heritage through his songs. His music is a response to the changing global situation and African growth challenges. This passionate artist soon became Eswatini’s rising symbol of its native rhythms, melodies, arts, and culture. Maintaining Swati traditions is his greatest inspiration and his way of living, becoming a mouthpiece for the underprivileged and bringing forward a message of hope to the victims of true social and health pandemics.
He is a symbol of Eswatini’s native rhythms, melodies, and culture, with powerful lyrics and a striking, multi-coloured voice. Stewart Sukuma, one of Mozambique’s foremost musicians, combines traditional and contemporary Mozambican music mixed with sweet yet powerful melodies that carry a message of hope and renewal.
It is worth mentioning that the audio track will be released this week in time for their performance on the MTN Bushfire stage.
Last year, Nana Makhoyane was one of the artists who formed CollaboNation.
