This is a guide to new age Tsonga music.
Once a month, we put together 10 Vatsonga musicians who are bringing heat and doing out-of-the-box Xitsonga music.
Hi leti Tinyeleti ta Mhawuri;
#10 – DJ MATIMBA
DJ Matimba fused House ya le ti-Shebeen na Tsonga Electro, and topped it with the catchiest one-liner since 1994. HOUSE YA MARIMBA could be a new Tsonga House sub-genre. Hi ta twa hi DJ Matimba…
Ntumani wo ehluta (Click to Download) House ya Marimba ya DJ Matimba
#9 – MADBLAQ
Most Tsonga Rappers struggle when it comes to flowing in Xitsonga, kambe Madblaq has a dope flow and lines that connect.
Ntumani wo ehluta (Click to Download) Ntan’wisi ya Madblaq
#8 – TEAM SIKIZA
Tsonga Electro musicians are the coolest to do it. Tsonga Electro is the Gqom of Xitsonga music; each song usually has a dance of its own. Tsonga Electro is our party music, and has a presence in Europe. The Tsonga Electro sound has always been street and less commercial; Nozinja’s story captures the evolution of the genre. With the emergence of Bluetooth and the internet, Tsonga Electro is now next in-line to dominate Xitsonga music genres, taking over from Mindzhumba.
Team Sikiza are group to watch in Tsonga-Electro, they are on the same level as Russian Army, DJ TT Makhanya, Madovani ya le Green Farm, Mr Cops and Team Swamisava.
Ntumani wo ehluta (Click to Download) July Remix ya Team Sikiza feat Dj Admire
#7 – DJ TERRENCE
Our very own DJ Khaled, puts together the dopest features in the game; DJ Terrence a nga hupi, i hit after hit. On WA N’WU TIVA TERRENCE, DJ Terrence features The King of Xitsonga Dance Music, Magezi Chauke, and even sends a shout out to Ti-Club (Tsonga Dance Clubs), because he knows it’s a dance hit. Come September, WA N’WU TIVA TERRENCE will be on repeat eChiawelo na le Tembisa.
Ntumani wo ehluta (Click to Download) Wa n’wu tiva Terrence ya DJ Terrence feat. Magezi Chauke
#6 – TEAM SWAMISAVA
The most consistent Tsonga group in the game right now, they make the same song, same concept and it sounds dope every time. They don’t miss at all. Team Swamisava cater for vayisa who are all about spending all their money on alcohol and girls – and they are good at it.
Ntumani wo ehluta (Click to Download) U lava yini – Byala na Vavasati ya Team Swamisava
#5 – WISEMAN RECOURTZ NA GYM ARROW
Gym Arrow wa hlola hi keyboard, Wiseman Recourtz’s Tsonga Electro is a fusion of Tsonga-Disco, Mindzhumba and EDM. This is next level. We were not wrong about Gym Arrow; he is the guy to create the Tsonga Hiphop sound, a nga tsanda hi yini, when he did what Limpopo Poison used to do back in the day, hi Humelela.
We hope Gym works on Wiseman’s album.
Ntumani wo ehluta (Click to Download) Humelela ya Wiseman Recourtz [Prod. By Gym Arrow]
#4 – WEST MGIMETI
Mgimeti can easily be the next Kenny Bevhula; so far he has dropped two hits with Brian Bomba na Sunglen. He is mainstream material, and can make possible Tsonga dream features. Xisuti will pick up in December, and people will go crazy over this song like its new, mi ta ku a hi vulangi…
Ntumani wo ehluta (Click to Download) Xisuti ya West Mgimeti feat Sunglen na Volcano
#3 – C-SIDERS LIFESTYLE
The most diverse Tsonga Hiphop act to ever do it. C-SIDERS is a Tsonga Trap duo that raps about village life from Ntlhaveni Block C, a village in Malamulele, Limpopo. On Mavhiyani, C-SIDERS raise awareness on Human Mutilation and Human Sacrifice currently on the rise in the Ntlhaveni region;
Vakokwani va ya rima kwini?
Hina hi tshama hi khome timbilu
Vana va hina va ya tlanga kwini?
Hina hi tshama hi khome timbilu
Loko ripela ha chavo!
Na loko rixini swa fano!
Hi chava yena Mavhiyano!
Vutomi lebyi bya vavo!
[Hina ha chavo!]
In 3 years’ time, C-SIDERS will be one of the biggest Hiphop acts from Limpopo, we calling it.
Ntumani wo ehluta (Click to Download) Mavhiyani ya C-SIDERS LIFESTYLE
#2 – KHOMBO SHIRIMANI
Khombo Shirimani is the angelic voice on Bengu Bengu, Queen of hooks and features. Khombo is an old school Xitsonga singer, the aim to make birds jealous, and she is one of the last to do it like vo Madya-ku-bomba and Tsonga-Disco Queens.
Khombo has just released her first solo project, MADUMELANI.
#1 – LOURENA NHATE
Lourena is an established Mozambique Marabenta artist who has been releasing beautiful cross-over Afro-Marabenta music in 2017. Lourena is going to follow in the steps of Mr Bow in SA-Moz circulation, and her collaboration with Ringo Madlingozi on Na Bonga Papa is part of her efforts.
On Utani khumbula, Lourena teams up with Kadu Groove Beatz, the no.1 Marabenta producer, to make a beautiful acoustic Afro-soul love song hi dridrimi dra Xidronga [In Xitsonga]. The beauty of female artists from Mozambique is that they know how to use our language to paint beautiful stories from different walks of life, making their music timeless.
SA female artists sing mostly about lack of sex and alcohol. *Sigh*
Ntumani wo ehluta (Click to Download) Utani khumbula ya Lourena Nhate