By By Palesa Mlambo and Onthatile Kgoadigoadi
It is often said that music is food for the soul and can mend broken hearts. When people grieve they long for an emotional connection. Music is said to have the best ability to connect to a human’s emotions. Musicians have the power to heal and uplift souls with their lyrics, a gift that many do not have but are granted the opportunity to listen to the feeling and conviction put into a musician’s work.
Lunga Duma, an upcoming artist from Kagiso and a co-founder of Art On Sundays (AOS), will be releasing his new single on Thursday, 13th of October 2016, talks about his musical journey and shares his thoughts about music.
Mr Duma believes that music is spiritual and heals, which is what he hopes to do with his music.
“I want to heal people with my music and present to the world the spirituality that is in music, by spirituality I am not referring to the gospel genre. I have learnt that music is spiritual because it speaks to the soul more than anything else and that is what I want my music to do, speak to the soul and heal,” says Duma.
In order to do this one needs to be patient and find themselves as musicians, he says. Many artists follow a trend and produce the same kind of music because they lack patience, mostly with themselves.
“There is a lot of talent in South Africa; nothing beats African music, provided that the continent focuses on its own craft,” explains Duma. He believes that there is room for improvement which is what he is trying to do.
Moving on to his latest single, the name of the single is “Lomgwaqo” (this road) which is also the name of the album. The single was initially titled ‘the journey begins” but Duma being a proud African, felt that it sounded too westernised hence he changed the title to “Lomgwaqo”. The song talks about how leaving home to go find work is not always the best option, he talks about how people seldom come back home from the big city of Johannesburg, he reminds us that regardless of the situation, there is no place like home.
Mr Duma draws inspiration from musical icons such as; Sipho Makhabane, the Shongwe Khuphuka group, Derick Ndzimande and Lindelani Mkhize.
Furthermore, Duma urges other musicians to use their gift to add value to society and share the gift with the human race instead of trying to outshine each other, because ultimately it all comes down to the power of music and its ability to change lives.
The single will be available on itunes, Amazon and all other online music stores on his birthday the 13th of October 2016; his album will then be released on the 16th of December 2016, which also happens to be his mother’s birthday. A live DVD recording will follow in 2017.
Mr Duma amongst other young upcoming artists is the perfect example that perseverance pays off, where there is a will; there is a way regardless of the circumstances. Music is life, music gives life, and music is art. Might as well appreciate, celebrate and embrace its existence.
Youth Chronicle 