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It has been seven years since Ntsika Ngxanga released his debut solo project, titled I Write What I Dream. The musician has dropped an EP and a few singles since then, but he is now back with a new full body of work titled Mbiya.
It is quite apt that his firs solo album, inspired by dreams of his grandfather, was called I Write What I Dream, because dreams are very central to this new album as well. The theatre practitioner, philanthropist and The Soil co-founder will be hosting 65 guests to an intimate and exclusive encounter with the album in what he calls the Mbiya Experience at King’s Kraal in Sandton on 20 November.
Where it all started
Just three weeks after releasing his solo debut, Ntsika performed at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival and, from there, it just continued raining blessings. A few weeks later, he performed at the Presidential Inauguration held at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria and later found himself touring various major cities.
He says these tours introduced him to his tribe -people who understood the identity of his sound and wanted to be healed through the music.
While doing his tour, A Place Called Ngoma, last year, Ntsika was drawn back to his environment of creating, which awakened dreams about his maternal grandmother, MaKhumalo. It is clear how precious she is to him because, when Ntsika shares this recollection, he instinctively launches into her clan names in a spontaneous moment of gratitude.
“Things started flowing like I've never seen them before. The harmonies were a bit different and the music was even more intense.”
“The music asks questions that we need to always be asking of ourselves, of people that we place in power, people we elect as leaders within environments and communities,” he says.
Listen before you go. I Write What I Dream on Spotify.
Ntsika, who has a spiritual gift, wants emerging artists who have a similar calling to know that they are not alone, and that it is normal to dream of songs and want those dreams to be realised.
The Mbiya experience explained
- What: Mbiya Experience
- Where: King's Kraal, Sandton
- When: Friday 20 November
- Cost: R800 - R1850 on Webtickets
Mbiya is a Shona word for a clay bowl that is similar to the Zulu ukhamba (calabash). During one of her visits in his dreams, Ntsika’s grandmother presented him with the gift of a mbiya, which looked more like a serving platter than a bowl.
“In my day, everyone was allowed to come and eat from the same plate, and meals were a season of contentment, a season of abundance,” MaKhumalo said to her grandson in the dream. Ntsika, therefore, has curated the event as a communal-eating listening session infused with storytelling and an introduction to his new music with a live performance.
“Chef Kudzai is doing a four-course meal which is aligned with the music. During the live performance with my band, I will share the dreams that inform these new songs with the guests,” says Ntsika.
He collaborates with Robin Fassie and J’Something on the new album, as instructed by MaKhumalo, and reveals that they will also be present at the Mbiya Experience. He recalls how his grandmother had revealed J’Something about three times, and one day Ntsika’s son just blurted out, “Baba, you should collaborate with you-know-who, not in your group but in your own music.”
The musician had not even shared his dreams with his family at the time, and his son’s statement made it clear that he could no longer ignore the message.
But the dreams are still ongoing, with MaKhumalo giving instructions on which engineer to work with and which other artists to collaborate with. Ntsika’s musical journey continues, and the full album will be released in 2027.
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