On the 4th of June, Unit, Pernilla Belkenbrant, and I will release songs from our collaboration, a project dedicated to South Africa. Since our South African tour with Af Chapmangymnasiet was canceled this year, we were blessed to share the music in a different way than expected. We have recorded beautiful songs where I was also featured by the Af Chapman choir on the song Baba wethu.
Sijabulile, my upcoming release, is an expression of a journey that began when I, Mpho Ludidi was born. I was born into a family of love, yet things did not look the way they were supposed to be. I was separated from my father and lived a life that did not mirror what God designed my life to be, yet God was there to make it possible for me to take paths that would lead me home. He brought people to my path who would guide me in the way of love.
A home is a place that we are designed to look like. Our nature and image; the way that we function; the way that we think and act. If it is a design from God, then it is home. Many people in the world live frustrated lives of hard work that lead to broken homes and disease, some are violent and think that it is natural, but this is not. Nobody was born to be frustrated, dishonest, hungry, misfortunate, and angry. We were all born and designed to function through love, the love that we are. Sijabulile speaks of the teachings from elders who know the truth concerning us. We were born to sing songs of goodness in our hearts, to dance, to jubilate with shouts of joy.
When we sing the right song, our heart goes in the direction of it, so, go on, sing that song that keeps you home.
Come home! Home is the place of your best images of a good and peaceful environment of love.
Sijabulile Crew
Without Pernilla Bjelkenbrant's excellent spirit and love for my music, Sijabulile would not be colorful enough. She brought her whole being to the studio. I remember that she had come directly from a classroom to the studio. She found me singing and began to channel herself to our frequency; even then, I knew that she was already connected.
Pernilla is one of those people you meet out of a divine appointment, and the only question is, how much time do we have together? I can see that she has her own journey, just as I have my own, and my prayer is that she will follow her heart and touch many people with her music.
Kristoffer Johansson, on drums, is always in position. I have toured with him as part of the Musik i Blekinge duo, Unit, and his sound stays consistently good; always heartfelt and dedicated to communicating a planned point and finds joy in spontaneous moments. He has his own tone and works best both in the studio and on stage. You cannot mistake Kristoffer's playing for anyone else. I am glad that it was him on this song and project because we have spent a lot of time together on stage and studio. Still, the best times have been on the road when we shared playlists from World Music to Soul, and he has come to know my heart better and better over the years, and so have I his heart and mind. When we are on stage, he can perceive when he needs to give me an extra drive.
It is usually best if everyone is physically present for a recording and can feed off each other. The bond that Unit and I have made it possible for us to take the song as close as possible to where it wishes to be, even though we recorded it separately on different days due to the state of the world right now.
Songs are pure, and you need to be in the right mind for you to receive and deliver as close as you can to their nature. "The right mind" includes the ability to separate yourself from pressures of any sort. I think when it comes to time and place, the recording of Sijabulile managed to break through; by "time," I relate to the way things are in the world right now, and by "place," I mean the song being recorded in Europe where the language is different from when I first received the music. This is a beautiful journey where Niclas, Kristoffer, Pernilla, and I were given a chance by Life to speak together in music. We had to say this at this time since God is releasing His song of comfort to the world and an alignment that takes people from a lie to the truth. Many people think that God is responsible for the way things are in the world, but I have already explained that life was designed to be lived in love and truth; if a lie has popped up, it is not an original plan and is from the lier, but God is truth. Sijabulile was chosen to inspire people to look at the true identity of life, and through faith, escape the panic and find a place of rest; this place is inherent; being designed by the Maker of all.
Niclas Höglind, the producer and guitarist is a heart and mind so hard to match; so pure and a gift in the music industry. I think that he is a firm foundation for a lot of musicians. We have not come to know his full value in life and music, and that might be because the time has not yet come, but if you look closely at the fabric of many musicians who have had the pleasure to work with him, you can always tell his golden touch.
I hope that you will enjoy this recording of Sijabulile. It is truly a version of Musik i Blekinge's World/Jazz Duo, Unit on instrumental colors with lots of electronic sounds and heavy drums complementing the spirit of African vocal chants from me and Pernilla Bjelkenbrant.
I will release links to all the songs on the project on the 4ht of June 2021 on my FaceBook artist page, Mpho Ludidi Music