Zimbabwean vocalist Mae Sithole’s emotive duet with fellow countryman Taps Mugadza has a poignancy that is sure to resonate on international shores.
Mae follows in the footsteps of continental balladry from the likes of Chiwoniso Maraire, Sally Nyolo and Angelique Kidjo. Her latest EP, which houses the track, is titled Visions. It’s produced by Andrew Baird (Mango Grove) from Orangotan Music.
The six track release highlights Mae’s multi-cultural background with heartfelt African nuances and pop rock. The presence of Mae’s brother Jonah Sithole on Handeyi Kumusha augments the evocative space created by Miracles, which is offset by a breezy version of Asa’s Jailor.
Mae’s take of the playlist
Jailor
“The single was inspired by the call in most societies for ethical and compassionate leadership.”
Miracles
“I have friends and family that have waited to have children for many years, sometimes with so many battles for this to happen. I wrote this song to celebrate when that miracle happens! When new life begins and it is carried through till birth. The love between parents, grandparents and their children is a beautiful mystery of life and I wanted to capture it in this way.”
House of Stone
“I wrote this song a few days before the “coup that wasn’t a coup” in Zimbabwe. It was inspired by the frustration with the suffering my people and family at home have endured for many years, despite the promises of independence.”
Losin’ Control
“This is a very sad song! I wanted to capture the tragedy of loss – especially of people close to us. I lost one of my closest friends, Fafie, who died in a car accident in her 20’s. I still suffer that loss today. I longed for us to celebrate life’s achievements together and missed her incredibly when I got married in Dec 2017.”
Handeyi Kumusha
“This is about the joys of going back home after being away for many years. Many Zimbabweans in the diaspora start families abroad and their children don’t know about the magic of being at home. The food, the smells, the stories, the stars and the love of family. It’s a special song to me because I wrote this with my brother Jonah Sithole Jnr. His children were born in Indonesia where he now lives with his family, and when we sing it together, it strikes a chord in my heart.”
Africa
I wrote this on the hepi drum – a beautiful, mysterious instrument my husband and I found in a little music store in Ubud, Bali. It’s a song of hope for Africa given the many challenges we face. The hope lies in every citizen through small, consistent steps of virtue that promote dignity for all.”
About the EP
Tell us about the title? “I chose Visions to describe a number of things that I have longed for and that other people long for too. The songs speak to longing for home; longing for the prosperity of our countries economically, politically and socially; finding what we have always searched for in health, love and family. The visions are the best that we hope for in each of these scenarios.”
How does this differ from your first album, First Glance? “I took a lot of time in crafting the lyrics for each song with my mentor and producer, Andrew Baird. We critiqued each word, line and verse to see if it fully expressed the message we wanted to convey through the songs.”
What is message you want listeners to take away from Visions? “I want fans to keep dreaming and pursuing the things that matter to them. I want them to realize they possess so much power within themselves and change always starts from that place”
Who: Mae Sithole
What: Vision EP, 2018
Web: http://www.maesitholeband.com/
WS
