South African Afro-soul singer Simphiwe Dana has announced the release of her new single on Friday, February 7. The single titled ‘Usikhonzile’ is the lead single off her album “Bamako” scheduled for release in March.
In a brief interview with Music In Africa, Dana revealed that “Usikhonzile means ‘you worship us’ but more than that it means ‘you take care of us’.”
She also disclosed that the single is a celebration of an unnamed personality “who is a friend of many people in this country.”
“It’s basically meant to give him his ‘flowers’ while he is still alive. It’s about praising him for the work he has done for many people,” she continued.
Speaking about the March-bound album, Dana shared that the album will contain 13 tracks featuring just three guests.
“I am planning to launch a 13-track album called Bamako at the end of March. I will also not mention who is featuring on the album but at least three artists are featured,” Dana said.
“I have a strong affinity for West African music, particularly Mali and Senegal. Last year I took the opportunity to produce some of the songs on the album while in the Malian city of Bamako, where I stayed for almost a month.
“It was my first time in Mali and I experienced the country’s culture through Bamako and this is how I came up with the title, Bamako.”
“Bamako” would be Dana’s fifth studio album, coming about a decade her well-received “Kulture Noir.”