With the visuals for her last song, ‘Ithuba‘, sitting close to 3.5 million views on YouTube, Hluhluwe-born singer-songwriter Lwah Ndlunkulu has released her newest music video for ‘Ngiyeza‘ with the assistance of Slowman Films.
hemed around defiant love that goes against tradition and the established ways of elders, it’s her first as a solo artist for the year.
She and Siya Ntuli have become something like tongue and saliva, with the latter taking up a co-starring role as her significant other. Renowned traditional healer Gogo Maweni makes a brief cameo at the beginning of the video, warning Siya about how he’d lose his love interest.
The music video features Ndlunkulu all svelte in an all-tangerine outfit and handbag, framed by an alfresco passage of matching triangles. The colour coordination runs over to the other scenes, with the Nkabi Records vocalist singing in pink garments in harmony with a silky headwrap and the background. The singer flaunts a pair of pearl-white Carvella shoes, bolstering the video’s clean aesthetics courtesy of stylist Themba Thanjekwayo.
The focus of the visuals is on Lwah Ndlunkulu and Siya as onscreen lovers for ‘Ngiyeza‘. “Dali wena wangihambel’ uMaweni / Ngiyeza ng’zohlala kini,” so the lyrics go, echoing Maweni’s scene at the beginning and the start of a rebellious love story. Ndlunkulu and Siya walk hand-in-hand and delight in each other’s presence before umalume pulls up in his red VW Polo. And at the sight of him, they disperse, knowing he’d disapprove of their illegitimate love.
The struggle of their love is evident in scenes of Siya working back-breaking jobs just for R20 pay, hardly enough for lobola, alluding to the lyrics: “Wathi uthando lukhona / kodwa inkomo azikho”.
Lwah Ndlunkulu, after the buildup, shows up to his lover’s homestead wearing homey clothing and a doek, with nothing but a couple of bags with her belongings. He emerges from the house and rushes to her, doing a leprechaun kick as a mini-celebration of her arrival.
A herd of family members come pouring out of the house to welcome her, headed by the household’s matriarch. However, celebrations are shortlived as Ndlunkulu’s uncle arrives and takes back her belongings while she goes back to the car altogether chagrined.
Siya is a picture of devastation as he looks on with his hands on his head, his face twisted in anguish. As he stands there, the traditional healer’s forecast regarding the relationship comes around full circle, capping the love story with its end.
Watch ‘Ngiyeza’ here:
