Ngo Ma

Nostalgic, psychedelic and spiritual, IzangoMa's debut album Ngo Ma is an exceptional ode to our first link to creation: mothers.

This avant-garde collective of South African and Mozambican musicians started when Sibusile Xaba (vocals, keys) and Ashley Kgabo (synths, snare drum, drum machine), the backbones of IzangoMa, met in 2016. Their music encompasses electronica, spiritual chants and harmonies, isicathamiya (a capella choral singing), cosmic sounds, bubblegum and pantsula. The nostalgia of the project appears in this fragmented composition which evokes the multicultural townships of South Africa. While this music is experimental and a product of blending different genres, it is transcendent and moves one through a journey with each song.

The album's title track, ‘Ngo Ma’, which loosely translates to ‘from/by my mother’ in isiZulu, explores maternal energy that knows no bounds. This motif of the feminine presence appears through the album in tracks like ‘Le Nna Mfana’, ‘City Lights’ and ‘Wathint’ Imbokodo’.

Whether you’re looking to dance, chant or simply be transported musically, this evocative album is not only for lovers of South African music but for experimental music lovers worldwide.