An idea born during the height of 2020’s lockdown, Linda Sikhanane’s third album tracks the South African composer and saxophonist’s journey of self-discovery. “I was thinking, 'What does it mean to be a musician or an artist at this time?’,” he tells Apple Music. “The world is going through so much, and this could be an opportunity for us to try and find revelation, even though we are facing so much uncertainty. This is when we really need to dig deep into ourselves and just understand our role amongst society and how we can make this world a better place at this particular time.”
That search led to Isambulo (Zulu for “revelation”), a concept which the artist considers a journey of constant discovery rather than a finite conclusion, and a continuation of a reflective journey that began with with his 2020 album, An Open Diaglogue (Live In New York). “With the lockdowns, a lot was exposed, about just how dysfunctional our systems are,” he explains. “With [the concept of] revelation, I was just trying to think of freedom as not something that we hope for, but something that we need to access, something that is urgent. This album has given me an opportunity to also just dig deep into where I come from and learn more about myself, my people and my culture. I see these songs as portals, and I see this album as a tool for me to study further about myself, and study further about my people.” Supported by Lucca Fries (piano), Fabien Iannone (bass), Jonas Ruther (drums), El Hadji Ngari Ndong (percussion), and vocal appearances by Anna Widauer and Paras, Isambulois co-produced by Sikhakahne’s frequent collaborator, Nduduzo Makhathini. Here, Sikhakhane takes us through the album, track by track.
“Inner Freedom (revisited)”
“‘Inner Freedom’ is a song that appears on my debut album, [2017’s] Two Sides, One Mirror. And it's a song that just re-emerged in my spirit, with a different groove, with a more steady harmonic sequence. I've been thinking about three dimensions of freedom: the spiritual, the psychological and the physical, and the importance of having these three dimensions locked in together, 'cause if one is not locked into the other, it collapses the whole notion of freedom. This has been one of the struggles in South Africa when we think of our history of apartheid. The freedom that was promised to people was only physical, but it doesn't really get to a point where we reach a sense of totality within that freedom, because these [other] dimensions have been collapsed. These people have faced so many things; brutality, just quite a lot. So the psychological and the spiritual aspect has been disturbed. I've been trying to think about these three dimensions and just the importance of getting them together to help people function in a beautiful way and have a proper dialogue with existence.”
“Gog’uIdah”
“With this song, I’m paying homage to my paternal grandmother whose name was Idah. I remember on the day that she passed away, I dreamt of a song. But when I woke up, I could not remember the song. I had been trying so hard over the years to remember the song, but I just accepted that I would never remember the song. And then years later, just this song, just came to my spirit. I could hear the song. I was thinking about my grandma and I thought that maybe this could be one song that I dedicate to her, because I believe that the first song was given to me by her, but I could not catch it; I was not in a good space to attract those sonics. I just felt that maybe, in recording this song, I could send a message to her and just to let her know that she's in a good space. She can get all the blessings that she needs and we love her so much.”
“Isambulo” (feat. Matthias Spillmann)
“In 2020 I was invited to be a part of an online concert. We were in a time where we presented music in a different way. We were not on stage. We didn't have an audience and people were just in their homes. So I thought that whatever we do, it needs to really hit in a way that people can focus on what is happening. I believe that I don't compose these songs, but I compose myself so that I can have access to these songs. So I was in a very compositional state trying to prepare for this concert. And then this song just came through, and it comes through whilst I'm thinking about the idea of isambulo—revelation. This particular song features a very important trumpeter from Switzerland, Matthias Spillmann, who was one of the first trumpeters to be involved with this South African-Swiss collaboration that had been started some years ago, that I was a part of when I recorded the album. So it was such an honour to have Matthias come in studio as an elder, just to grace the project.”
“uNongoma” (feat. Paras)
“‘uNongoma’ is a very special song. It's very close to my heart because ‘uNongoma’ is a meditational piece that I'd like to dedicate to my place of origin, which is KwaNongoma. That's where my family comes from. This one features Paras, who draws from this rich Zulu AmaHubo archive. Somehow with ‘uNongoma’, we are trying to have a dialogue with our archive and our histories, our knowledge systems, our music. We're trying to have a dialogue with the archive so that we can get a map that can help us navigate through the future. ‘Nongoma’ was derived from a Zulu word, ‘ngome’ which means ‘the mother of music’. I read that KwaNongoma, as a place, was created to be a space for peace back in the 1800s, [in the midst of] all the wars that were taking place in KwaZulu-Natal. So KwaNongoma was actually constructed as a location that would bring about peace in the area. And of course, as uNongoma is also the home of the late King Zwelithini, the king of the Zulus, it's very close to my heart. I believe that every gift of music comes from KwaNongoma. So this is me just coming back and saying, 'KwaNongoma, thank you’.”
“Umbhedesho”
“‘Umbhedesho’, translated, is ‘the doctrine’. And here, I'm thinking about this nomad that has been traveling for about 300 years. His map to whatever destination he is going to is based on his histories, on these particular doctrines which are informed by history, culture and just belonging. ‘Umbhedesho’ was spontaneous in studio, and there was no like set structure of harmonic ideas. I was like, 'Okay, let's play rhythm with no changes,' which means it's just rhythm not informed by any harmonic sequence—[each musician] contributed whatever they were feeling within their spirit in terms of harmony. For me, it gives a deeper sense of harmony—not just musical harmony, where everything is based on notes, but harmony as just a way of being. There's a drum call before the whole thing starts. El Hadji Ngari Ndong, the percussionist, is from Senegal. We have him as this master giving this call for us to come together and recite this doctrine. So it just gives me this African sense as to how knowledge is transferred from a master to a disciple. The whole oral tradition, which is transferred from generation to generation.”
“A Day Passed” (feat. Anna Widauer)
“I was thinking about how time is moving and just the whole idea of ‘what is the future, what is the past?’ And thinking about time as the time that we live, and thinking about the future as potential time. ‘A Day Passed’ just speaks about how time moves. So it's like looking back, but moving forward trying to access the future. Anna Widauer is an Austrian singer who lived in Switzerland for some time. She was part of Nduduzo Makhathini's Inner Dimensions album. She wrote the lyrics to the song.”
“Ikhandlela”
“‘Ikhandlela’—it’s very symbolic in our cultures. ‘Ikhandlela’ [‘a candle’] brings light in our journeys. So with ‘Ikhandlela’, I'm speaking about a journey that has so much light; a guided journey. I see ‘Ikhandlela’ as just a guide in its deepest sense, thinking about how our ancestors are always guiding us, guiding the journeys. Throughout the whole Isambulo project, I'm thinking about this nomad that is traveling for 300 years, thinking about history and also trying to find a map to unknown destinations through sonics, through music. And this person has a candle as a symbol of being guided by our ancestors, guided by the journey itself, guided by the universe.”
“Hymn for The Majors”
“Here, I'm paying homage to the masters that have that been part of the journey before us. There's a proverb in isiZulu, that says that for us to know where we are going, we need to look back; we need to understand what our masters have been doing before us. And of course we are just tapping into what has been done by our masters. It's like a construction of a bridge that has been constructed over the years, and we are able to tap in. Those masters have created an archive for us to tap into and find knowledge, and find ways of continuing with the journey. It's just a dedication to them—the likes of Bheki Mseleku, the likes of Hugh Masekela—and even those who are still alive—Madala Kunene, S’thembiso Ntuli, just to name a few.”