Amagama

Thanks to her arresting vocals and expressive lyrics, KZN-born Afropop singer-songwriter Nomfundo Moh’s rise has been swift. After a short stint as a house music vocalist, she made the switch to Afropop in 2019 with the single “Lilizela,” which earned enough buzz to lead to a deal with Universal Music Africa and an appearance on amapiano star De Mthuda’s 2021 album, The Landlord. On her debut album, Amagama, Nomfundo Moh shares her observations and life experiences, celebrates love through relatable stories, and offers some motivation and inspiration with her life story—with added doses of spirituality. The project is sonically shaped by NaXion Cross, who met the musician while she was still a regular at open-mics during her days as a student in the mid-2010s. He creates a comfortable environment for her honed soprano with radiant Afropop beats made up of breezy pads and neatly placed synth squelches. Below, Nomfundo Moh breaks down the inspiration behind the songs on Amagama.
“Revelation” (feat. Magcina Kanina) [Intro] “I decided to open up with a poem, because I feel like it best describes where I come from. It is a revelation of what is about to happen, where we are headed. It’s [an affirmation] from my ancestors who are guiding me because I’m a spiritual person. It was actually done by Magcina Kanina, my friend from primary school. I feel like she understands me.”
“Umthwalo” “‘Umthwalo’ was my second single. ‘Umthwalo’ means ‘burden.’ The song describes who I am; I integrated my profession as a qualified social worker while I was still a student. So, it’s actually integrating my skills, experiences, and observations of life—what is happening around me, what is happening around [people] next to me. So, I feel like a lot of people relate to that song, as it is a hope song. I’m passing a message that if you’re feeling down or you feel like things are not going your way, [if] you feel like you are on your own, just find someone that you can talk to. There’s always someone who’s willing to listen.”
“Umona” “‘Umona’ means ‘jealousy.’ I found this song to be relevant, especially as someone who grew up in a rural area. We find a lot of people, let’s say in the neighborhood, some are happy for you and rejoicing with you and your family—whereas some, on the other hand, are like, ‘We will see where this one is going to end,’ or ‘Oh, my God, is she really making it?’ Also, there is a traditional song that goes, ‘Yini umona? Yini umona?.’ It inspired me to write this song. I felt like a lot of people who come from rural areas are going to relate to it. It describes me and the environment that I come from. A lot of people from Ndwedwe or any other rural place are really going to relate to it. It reminds me of home.”
“Lilizela” “This was my debut single; it means a lot to me. When I wrote the song, it was February, the month of love. I wanted to spread love so that people can stop with that negative energy, of being negative whenever they see people who are lovers together and happy, and they’ll be like, ‘It will end in tears.’ I wanted to counter that perspective and express that love is actually a beautiful thing. We just need to congratulate others and wait for our turn. Maybe tomorrow you might be the happy one. You might be happy in love, and someone else out there might be inspired and wish to be in that position tomorrow.”
“Nginjena” “‘Nginjena’ is very close to my heart because I wrote more about my experiences than my observations. ‘Nginjena’ means ‘as I am.’ I’ve come across a lot of people who tend to question the way I am. Like, ‘You are so tiny, but then you’ve got big dreams. Do you think you're going to achieve those?’ I’m tiny. Some people have seen me, and they were like, ‘Is this really you, or maybe it’s your little sister?’ I thought deeply about all those things, and it has come to a point where I’m tired of people doubting my dreams because of my size.”
“Soft Life” “‘Soft Life’ is a manifestation of a good life, a comfortable life, a life where I’d live happily in peace and be able to provide for myself and my family. I want that kind of life for myself—a life where I can just be independent. A lot of people describe soft life in different ways. For me, that’s what soft life is. The song is me manifesting, wishing to get to that place.”
“Phakade Lami” (feat. Sha Sha & Ami Faku) “A big shout-out to the queens for joining me on the jam. ‘Phakade lami’ means ‘my forever.’ I wrote the song during the first lockdown [of 2020]. I felt like it was more relevant, as many people were locked away at home; some in the workplace. And that made us distant from people that we love. So, you end up wondering if your lover is OK where they are: Has he eaten? Is he safe? So, with all that crossing my mind, I was like, ‘Why not write a song about it? I feel like everyone is going to relate to it.’ It may not be a lover; it could be anyone that you love, anyone that you don’t want to lose. For me, phakade lami is that person that you want to keep in your life forever.”
“Kuhle” (feat. De Mthuda & Da Muziqal Chef) “I’m a person who appreciates the little things in life. So, instead of worrying about what I don’t have, I would rather appreciate what I have that brings my soul peace. So, I’m like, ‘Kuhle emoyeni wami’—‘It is well with my soul.’ It’s something I took from a gospel song, and I added Nomfundo’s spices; I actually translated it to amapiano [with the help of producers] De Mthuda and Da Muziqal Chef. De Mthuda played me the beat during a session and, out of a lot of things that could have come to my mind at the time, the only thing that came to my mind was gratitude.”
“Ngam’khetha” (feat. NaXion Cross & Beast Rsa) “The song features my producer NaXion Cross and Beast RSA from Afrotainment. It’s more like a wedding song, that’s how I would describe it. Whenever I listen to it, even the way I wrote it, it creates those images of a bride walking down the aisle. Like, ‘I chose my lover out of a lot of people who were promising me heaven and earth. But this one is the one.’”
“Isandla Sikamama” “It’s a song that is inspired and dedicated to my late grandmother, who I took as my mother, because my biological mother was like a sister to me, as I was the first grandchild at home. So, my grandparents were treating me like their lastborn. The passing of my grandmother touched me so much; I felt like I had lost my own mother. Whilst I was working on the album, I was like, ‘I want to make this song that is dedicated to her because I’m sure she’s looking down on me and she’s actually proud of the lady that I’m becoming.’ So, I’m asking her to light up my way, so that I can see where I’m going. I believe that she’s my guardian angel now. May her soul rest in peace.”
“Jikeleza” “‘Jikeleza’ has that jazz sound in it. I was quite unsure about the song when I first wrote it, but I happened to play the phone recording during a studio session. And then my team was like, ‘Why didn’t you tell us about this song? Why are you sleeping on this song?’ It sounds so mature. It’s one of those songs that I think are good to be played in jazz festivals; it has that chilled mood, and it’s a love song.”
“Shintsha” (feat. NaXion Cross & Lady K) “‘Shintsha’ means ‘change.’ It’s a song about telling someone you are tired of their behavior. You’ve been in love for so long, but then there are these things that he or she is doing that you are not OK with. You’ve been addressing those things for a while now, so it has come to a point where you are like, ‘Change, if you still want me in your life. Or if you want to stay the way you are, then I should be the one who leaves.’”
“Amagama (Outro)” “‘Amagama’ means ‘words.’ It has double meaning: It’s me showcasing my talent by using words [through] songwriting. Secondly, it’s me saying I am short of words to express how grateful I am to everyone who’s been part of my journey, who’s been supporting me. I really appreciate it. ‘Amagama’ is for my maternal and paternal family, Dladla and Ngcobo. It is for my fans, who I call the Moh Fam. It’s for my ancestors. It’s also dedicated to God, because I believe I am where I am because He’s always been there for me. I made sure everyone who’s been part of my journey is mentioned so that no one feels left behind.”