05 May 2023| Johannesburg: In what echoes much like an Afro-pop melody, Masandi offers a phenomenon sonically familiar to his previous works. Apart from bestowing his fans with a standard inspirational track, in his new single “Bekezela”, Masandi portrays vocals more nuanced, depicting this release as something quite unique.
After a short hiatus since his EP release, Kaleidoscope and a Crown Gospel Award win,Masandi returns to African spiritual and traditional fashion with hit single “Bekezela”. Commencing with rhythmically syncopated cowbell thuds and ululating, “Bekezela” seeks to engross the soul into a trance much earlier than the melody has the opportunity to. Accompanied by keys that are melodically charming, edging on the sphere of House, the track gradually builds mechanisms that highlight Masandi’s vocals in ways never heard before. As a musician, known for producing music harnessing R&B vocal tone, in “Bekezela” Masandi delivers the melody in traditional Zulu tones, matching those of the featured artist, Mathandazo Gayta.
Recording the hit single in a Johannesburg studio alongside talented producer Nhlonipho Lihle Dlamini and Jozi Entertainment’s Mathandazo Gatya, Masandi travels from his hometown for a collaboration quite auspicious. If one immediately associates the name Mthandazo Gayta alongside the great John Legend, then memory serves you well, as Mthandazo captured the world through his retort to John Legend’s “Nervous” through an open verse challenge. Now partnering with Masandi in “Bekezela” the two offer fans a song about hope and promises of success to those that remain true to the journey. The single emphasizes one’s perseverance and that whatever the situation, if one keeps steadfast to the process, things will inevitably turn around.
“It’s a song about endurance, longevity, and believing in your dreams. It’s dedicated to anyone who is fighting for its fruition. It’s a constant conversation with self in One; realizing their ultimate potential.” – Masandi, 2023
Ubiquitous to Masandi’s musical style,the single offers capabilities to existing in spaces of worship just as it could in secular realms making “Bekezela” just as transcendental as many of Masandi’s previous offerings. In “Bekezela” however, Masandi is set to reach new heights by harnessing traditional Afro-pop undertones as well as a hot feature, these aspects grant the perfect setup to offer fans a song that is truly all-encompassing and equally omnipresent.