Maskandi singer Ithwasa Lekhansela centres Wafungela Thina on the idea of someone swearing an oath on behalf of others, a theme of loyalty the title carries. Promises and allegiance are familiar ground in the tradition.
Wafungela Thina sits in the Zulu guitar-led maskandi style, where the picked strings and a firm rhythm frame a voice that leans into praise-chant as much as melody. The sound stays rooted in the acoustic feel of the genre, and the writing, as maskandi usually does, puts a clear message ahead of ornament.
Ithwasa Lekhansela works within the lineage suggested by the name, carrying the maskandi form forward for a newer set of listeners. The genre’s strength has always been its rootedness in Zulu life and language, and this release keeps to that rather than reaching for crossover appeal.
What rewards attention in maskandi is the concertina or guitar run that answers each vocal phrase, a small instrumental reply woven through the song. It is the detail that separates a living tradition from a museum piece.
This is music for those who keep the roots sound close, at home or at a community gathering. It will mean most to listeners who value loyalty as a subject and the Zulu guitar as a sound.
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