Thandiswa - Ibokwe

  Before Christmas my dad was visiting me, reading in the living room as I was cleaning my apartment blasting one of my favorite Spotify playlists. After a little while I realized that maybe the music was too loud since my dad was reading and asked if he wanted me to turn it down, he said no. :) When I finally turned the music off to use my phone he said: "That's some great music you have there. Some of it is South African." I smiled, and told him that he was right, and the playlist contained two of my favorite South African singers Thandiswa and Simphiwe Dana, as well as South African/German singer Joy Denalane (hair crush post here). He said "Oh, they must be young, I have never heard of them." :)

   My love for music was a gift my father gave me at a very young age, and I'm very grateful for that. I guess that's also why he can enjoy what I listen to, because his taste in music has influenced mine. So I decided to give my dad a CD (this is a gift he has received from me many times before, with different music on it of course) for his birthday. My first impulse was that he should have Thandiswa's album Ibokwe. I couldn't find this album on the Swedish music webshops so I decided to order it online from Amazon.co.uk.

   When I unpacked it I took the little booklet out of the cover and was amazed by the artwork! I had seen the picture many times, but not up close! It captures SA so well; Soweto, the music, the people dancing, the minibus taxis... everything! And as Thandiswa pointed out to me; the rows of corn in her hair: the cornrows! Such amazing detail! I'm sure my dad will not only appreciate the music of SA but also the image of SA. I wish I had this artwork as a canvas to put on the wall in my living room.

From Twitter :)

Here's the title track of the album "Ibokwe" performed at Mandela Day back in 2009. This woman is a powerhouse! I hope I will be blessed to see her live one day!

Thandiswa
Twitter