Debut album out for ex-Bulldog strummer
Former Border Bulldogs scrumhalf Wandile Mbambeni, who hung up his boots to strum his guitar and write songs four years ago, has released his debut album, Kwakumnandi.
The album has been released through Gallo Record Company. The former Hudson Park High pupil told the Daily Dispatch he was now signed under the label.
“We started working with Gallo last year when they did distribution for the extended play (EP) Maturation.
“From there we started talking about doing an album, and that’s how I ended up signing with them,” he said.
He said Kwakumnandi was about nostalgia and reflecting on the good old times.
“No matter what, we always say ‘kwakumnandi’ [it was nice] when we think about our past. We are not saying we don’t love the present we are living in right now. We enjoy the present so we can reflect and say ‘kwakumnandi’,” he said.He wrote the title track sitting in his studio apartment feeling homesick. “I missed being under the same roof as my brothers and parents. There are a lot of Eastern Cape people in Johannesburg, and we always find ourselves missing home, and it’s good to reflect and think about the good times,” he said.
On the album, Mbambeni worked with award-winning singers Shekhinah and Bongeziwe Mabandla, as well as East London rapper LasNumber.
“In 2015 I did a performance on SABC3’s Expresso and one of the songs I did was Our Lives Matter. They posted it on social media and someone said myself and Bongeziwe would make a great collaboration. Bongeziwe said he loved my voice, and two years later I approached him and we did the song again,” he said, adding he was grateful for the opportunity to work with Mabandla.
“With Shekhinah, my publisher is the one who set up the collaboration. I listened to some of her music and we went into studio and wrote the song Wanted and Loved.”
The song with LasNumber, Nanamhlanje, was written in 2015.
“I have been working on a lot of material the past two years and I’m glad to finally have a full album,” he said.
Mbambeni’s album is available at all digital stores and music stores across the country.
“The support from people back home has been amazing. They are buying the music.”
He said he would be embarking on a tour to share some of his music.
“I will be visiting all the cities that have contributed to who I am. East London is home but I’ve lived in Port Elizabeth, and Cape Town was the last city I lived in before moving to Johannesburg,” he said, adding that he would be coming to the Eastern Cape in October...
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