On Zoë Modiga’s INGANEKWANE and honouring Black women’s music as a living archive.
Several words could describe the feeling(s) that overcame me when I first listened to South African jazz sensation, Zoë Modiga’s, sophomore album INGANEKWANE. Those first feelings were awe, affirmation, love, reverence and healing. From the first moment her voice filtered into my ears on the opening track KWASUKASUKELA, the isiZulu word that can be loosely translated as ‘fairy tale’ which Modiga aptly uses to signal the beginning of her sonic tale, I was overcome with a sense of awe at what a moving body of work the whole album is. Modiga’s voice sounded like nothing that had been heard and it instantly transported me into a world of rich melodies and senses.
Every one of the 16 tracks on the record sounds as if it was carefully and intently crafted for the purpose of paying tribute to and telling the beautiful story of Black people’s — moreso Black women’s — past, present and future using a wonderful tapestry of rich sounds. Modiga is able to weave a compelling story that touches on themes such as revolution, African spirituality, love, healing, and purpose using not only her unique voice, but music that is imbued with history as she embodies and borrows from other South African musical greats such as mama Busi Mhlongo and mama Miriam Makeba.
Songs like INTSHA and SINENKANI, relevant commentaries on younger South Africans’ passion, fearlessness and unease with the current status quo; and ABANTU and ISEGAZINI, which are poignant stories about the struggles that Black people have had to endure but are hopeful of a better future and lives filled with purpose, instantly standout when listening to the record and are vivid, clear statements that mark Modiga’s intent.
Through her captivating writing and musicality, Modiga is able to use the allegory of the African folktale to make a case for its importance as an archive of black people’s oral histories. Her work is also a useful tool to record our living memories. Drawing from various influences such as contemporary South African jazz music and more traditional forms of South African music like umaskandi, she masterfully narrates the intricacies of how we could make sense of our spirituality and humanity in a world that has become increasingly harsher.
In songs like UMDALI, MUTWA, IMPILO, UTHANDO and BLACK BUTTERFLY the songstress imagines life, love, history, legacy and memory. Modiga posits that there is still much to be hopeful for despite the various threats to our existence in a society plagued by issues such as mass unemployment, rampant corruption, femicide and the enduring legacies of colonialism and apartheid. The song ILANGA LISHONILE, a cover of Miriam Makeba’s African Sunset, is a wonderful tribute to another South African musical great and highlights Modiga’s efforts to illuminate the vast repository of black women’s music and works.
As mentioned before, listening to the album left me feeling many different emotions but the one that struck me the most was how healing the music was. My first listen of the song IMPILO moved me to literal tears as I felt a deep connection to the message. The title of the track is pretty self-explanatory; however, it was Modiga’s sincerity when singing about how grateful she is for her life and all the experiences that she’s learnt along the way that struck a chord with me most.
Living a life that has been fraught with several obstacles and constant feelings of anxiousness, inadequacy and sometimes hopelessness as a young black South African woman, it felt reassuring and affirming that there was someone who could articulate some of my most intimate thoughts and in the same breath offer me hope that a new journey is possible. Modiga was able to effortlessly depict the story of how we can be at once aware of the sometimes bleak realities of the world — and the tough lessons we have learnt or not learnt — while still grateful for the chance to one day experience happiness and contentment.
The album was a journey that resonated with so many different parts of my life and even though the final track COS COS YAPHELA signals the end of Modiga’s enthralling fairy tale, I was left with a sense that there was still so much more to be said and felt. Thus, with this powerful sophomore album, Modiga solidified herself as an undisputable musician and rightfully took her place among the many other black women that continue to produce important and invaluable work.
As the days and nights have morphed into one miserable and endless loop of over-anxiousness, uncertainty, boredom, fear, loss and sometimes crushing grief in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and its devastating impact on our world; INGANEKWANE serves as a soothing balm that has given me welcome respite from everyday life and is definitely already a classic.
