BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE– Afro-pop sensation Sands who is set to perform outside the continent for the very first time when he graces European stages is currently doing the numbers on Spotify with his song titled ‘Tento’.
The song forms part of his recently sophomore album titled ‘Rythm of Sands’. The song is currently sitting on over 3 000 streams after being on 2 000 streams last year.
Sands who is a musician, performing artist and songwriter, was expressing himself in this song and captured his audience with the lyrics.
The thought provoking song could easily be passed off as a courting song, because he warns a girl that all men are the same, and ladies must always look out for actions as they speak louder than words.
“Tento, tento tiyabonakala, tento titongikhulumela.” Are the main lyrics of the song. The melody and hook of the song allows the listeners to enjoy the simplicity of imagination, rhythm and creativity in the whole song.
His debut project ‘Sands of Time’ introduced him to multi-cultural audiences across Africa, giving them their true first taste of what Eswatini music is about. In a career of 10 years, Sands has said his biggest lessons about himself, and his music, has been the value of life, dedication and commitment to the craft.
Meanwhile the artists’ management team made the announcement last year, where they made it known that the local ‘golden boy’ as Sands is affectionately known will perform in the United Kingdom (UK), France, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Monaco and Cyprus. The tour is slated for June/July this year.
“The tour will take place in the European Summer of 2023. We will also be doing a live recording of Sands’ whole catalogue. For now, we still have six countries, but we are hoping for more and are quite optimistic.” said Kingdom Tales’ Melusi ‘Zox’ Dlamini.
Dlamini further revealed that according to insights, the project was well-received in France and Switzerland.
“There is also interest in the UK which was surprising considering the piano invasion that side.” added Dlamini.
The artist himself expressed excitement with the announced tour, stating that he was thrilled at the opportunity to “grow a loyal fan base and make new music on unfamiliar territory.”
“Also, I am eager to collaborate with international artists, because it will ensure my transition to a whole new market,” said Sands.
The artist’s first Europe tour is an exciting journey for the artist as he has graced many African stages such as in Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa. He is one of Eswatini’s biggest exports and has become a household name.
He recently performed at The MTN Bushfire and has graced countless number of stages in Eswatini and headlined as much. To kick off his tour, last year he held a one man show at the Mbabane Theatre Club where over 600 people attended the show dubbed ‘Ladies Night’.
