Illuminate your Light!
Yandiswa Xhakaza kaRadebe
Education Leadership | Programme Design & Implementation | Monitoring & Evaluation
This is Simphiwe Dana, from eGcuwa. A first-born daughter who looked at her life growing up in rural Eastern Cape and instinctively knew that the life she was living was not her life, she rejected it and sought to create the life she wanted. Dana, in one of her interviews speaks of the difficulty of breaking into the music industry as she didn’t see herself in the music scene; she couldn’t quite point to modern musicians with a similar sound to the music she was carrying in her soul. This tension of bringing a new sound and hoping that it takes root is not only symbolic of her courage, clarity and perseverance.
Simphiwe could have just decided to fit the mould but no, she was insistent on creating a new thing at the risk of it not being liked.
Simphiwe is part of a lineage of artists who came before her, she references Dorothy Masuka, The Manhattan Brothers, Miriam Makeba and the Skylarks as just a few that gave her the courage to charge forth. These Musicians from previous generations helped her understand that she is an extension of a sound that has a long-standing history in our society.
I honor Simphiwe for not succumbing to what was and finding her place in pop culture. One of my favourite songs by Dana is iNkwenkwezi. Perhaps my resonance with this particular song is the sharpness of the command to Shine! The song is instructive and it delivers a message to the listener, informing the listener who they are; “Uyinkwenkwezi.” You are a Star.
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As though we are lost in the wilderness, as though we were without identity, the song offers us the insight that we are stars and it swiftly moves to command us to do what stars do, to shine.
Simphiwe in this song, sounds like many Xhosa mothers, never too soft, too polite…With a sense of irritation, there is an underlying tone of annoyance and urgency. Uyangxola uSimphiwe, udikiwe by the complacency with which these stars have dimmed their light, leading to this incisive outcry that is this song, as though to say, “zemka iinkomo magwala ndini!” She is instructing the stars to live up to the task of illuminating their light. The end of that song, takes me out; she says,
“Khanya nkwenkwezi, ubumnyama bungakuginyi.” Loosely translated as; illuminate your light and may you not be consumed by the darkness, which of course is always the risk, when stars dim their light, darkness can and does consume them.?
Khanya Nkwenkwezi!
Host of Education Matters Podcast
2 个月I have always loved Simphiwe Dana's work and music. I fall in love with her work everytime people share their stories and the experiences with her music. My favourite song of hers is Ndim iQhawe. I loved the song more when Prof Gqola shared her analysis of Dana's artistry in her book A Renegade Called Simphiwe. "Ndim lo ndim iqhawe. Ntsikiz’ eyonzakeleyo amaphiko." Broken wings are not an indication of my strength. At some point in the same song she says, "Ndim lo ndoyidiliza lentaba", implying that it is not only wings that will make me soar, but there will be other methods of finding ground. There are many examples her irritation with complacency. Her apparent theme stems from her debut song, Ndiredi. She is always seeking and attempting to soar - "Ndiredi ukundiza ndiphe umoya. Ndinaw' amandla okundiza ndipha Umoya". The reference to uMoya can mean many things but for me, it is praying for a higher power to intervene. Please also try Indwe when you have a chance.