Nkabi Nation, a record label or a movement? Question marks surround its existence as much as its loyalists follow it every place where it carves its name. Alongside his trusted acolytes, Lwah Ndlunkulu, Siya Ntuli, and Xowla – all of whom have played instrumental parts in some of Big Zulu’s biggest singles – the iNkabi Records head honcho has overseen the rise of neo-maskandi.
The unique niche is a twist of urban sounds with maskandi influences and sensibilities. With a feather of top-selling hits on his cap, ushuni wenkabi has returned with Siya Ntuli and Xowla for ‘Dear My Love’ with an extra (and unexpected) feature of K.O. And as formulaic as the approach is to this new single, it’s doing what he knows best. Seeing Big Zulu summon nothing but the best from his guests to produce a lovesick lover’s gem for the festive season.
Most of Big Zulu’s songs play with a sense of continuity, a plus and a minus. A plus because his craft is consistent, helping him establish his character arc in the game and not disappointing the faithful fanbase that identifies with him so much. Conversely, it’s a minus because, from a musical viewpoint, the Bergville-born star comes across as having hit his artistic ceiling.
‘Dear My Love’ picks up from where he left off on ‘Umuzi eSandton’; he addresses the struggles of a hard-working man who has to leave the love of his life behind to go and phanda a better life for them. But what is life without its uncalled-for whims? What is love but a thing that is at the mercy of these changes? Such are the things he talks about, sentiments Xowla and Siya give emotions to on their hook, holding up a mirror for Big Zulu to synchronise himself with.
Big Zulu’s verse flows with the same energy as his most recent singles; however, there’s a sharpness and rejuvenation in his output that breathes new life into a seemingly old concept. This is due in part to K.O’s presence.
Yes, K.O has finally honoured Big Zulu with that feature that was the bone of contention in their respective diss tracks: “Omega Freestyle” and “150 Bars”. The Teargas alumnus delivered in that inimitable way only K.O could as if to prove why, after all these years, he has remained a commercial and critical success story.
His lovey-dovey cadence has all the different K.Os from his past songs. In his verse, there’s the goofball from “Shimmy”, the onomatopoeic charmer boy from “Call Me”, and the dirty-mouthed guluva from “Ding Dong”. What makes his verse a standout contribution is his ability to tune into the frequency and mood of Xowla and Siya, creating a seamless shift from the chorus to the verse as smooth as the lyrical advances he tries to butter up his lover with throughout his stay on the joint.
Although Xowla and Siya worked together to be the solder keeping the song moving as one, it was Siya’s harmonies that iced the song. He repeated the performance in “Voicemail”, but in “Dear My Love”- he straddled a minimalist pocket that mimicked the legendary Ladysmith Black Mambazo while also appealing to that core maskandi feel, which strengthened the connection to the maskandi influences on the trap production.
As much as “Dear My Love” resembles Blaq Diamond’s “Love Letter”, there is a quality of sureness in the blend of genres and influences from artists all at their best that make sure this song isn’t an unoriginal echo. The masterful execution from all the artists makes “Dear My Love” feel like a gift we’ve gotten before, but one we can be satisfied with because of its thought and merit.
