Bongeziwe Mabandla

Bongeziwe Mabandla is a South African singer-songwriter who sings almost exclusively in isiXhosa. His music forms a bridge to an international audience worldwide, with language acting as an inviting door rather than a barrier. After his youth in the Eastern Cape and a theatre education in Johannesburg, he made his international breakthrough. The core of his success is the artistic collaboration with the Mozambican producer Tiago Correia-Paulo. Together they released groundbreaking albums, including ‘Mangaliso’, ‘iimini’ and ‘amaXesha’, which garnered worldwide praise from media such as NPR and The Guardian. Mabandla frequently collaborates with renowned artists and producers from various genres. His unique style, described by himself as 'Xhosa soul', draws full houses all over the world. With the album ‘Ndingubani’ he releases his most introspective work to date, characterised by themes such as reflection, setbacks and personal growth.