Today, South African multidisciplinary artist
Muzi releases his fifth studio album uMUZI,
out now via Fool’s Gold.
An autobiographical collection detailing
Muzi’s universe and how it came to be,
uMUZI sees the “Zulu Skywalker” return to
Earth, grounded by his memories and the
desire to reconnect with his late parents.
Where his previous album, INTERBLAKTIC,
focused on Muzi’s journey as an artist, uMUZI
serves as his origin story, chronicling the
moments that have truly made Muzi who he
is – from describing his parents’ first date
with ‘eMtunzini’ and his first crush with
‘Queen’, to his introspective approach to his
period of homelessness on ‘Problems’ and
his tumultuous relationship with his father on
‘Timer’.
uMUZI features a new collaboration with
Coldplay’s Chris Martin singing in Muzi’s
native Zulu on ‘Queen.’ The album also
includes appearances from British rapper
The Last Skeptik on ‘Milk & Honey’ and
legendary 72-year-old South African guitarist
Madala Kunene on ‘A Letter To Zeno’.
Watch Muzi’s official ‘eMtunzini’ and ‘Light’
music videos.
Muzi has a way of intertwining his
deepest, most personal vulnerabilities
into his music. His authenticity and way
of inducing listeners with virtuous stories
through insightful lyricism has made
Muzi a transcendent storyteller. He is
long dedicated his bodies of work to his
family with his 2020 MAMA EP, a
memorandum honoring his late mother
and 2019 ZENO, an album written for his
daughter. His latest project uMUZI
follows suit, analyzing his relationship
with his late father and own experience
with fatherhood. For Muzi, this album is
about introspection and growth; the
ability to reflect on one’s history and
use those lessons as motivation towards
a brighter future.
Crafted as the soundtrack of his family’s
Toyota Cressida, uMUZI is a conflux of
the music he heard in the car growing
up, the sounds that would later
influence his own artistry, and the stories
he would tell if given the chance to
take one last family road trip. Still
championing his rich Afrohouse roots,
uMUZI is a sonic exploration through the
eclectic sub-genres that permeated
Muzi’s upbringing and have weaved
their way throughout his musical
universe. From the disco stylings of
‘Queen of African Pop’ Brenda Fassie
to the forward-thinking dance music of
Daft Punk and Faithless, uMUZI draws from the
songs of Muzi’s childhood and the artists his
father introduced him to. Nostalgic in sound
and sentiment, the album is colored with a
warm, vintage tone forged by Muzi’s
newfound experimentation with analog
synths and drum machines.
“My 5-year-old daughter, Zeno, and I started
doing a lot of road trips together. It became
important to me for her to see our beautiful
land and countryside. To meet its people
and know the beauty of home. We would
always have these random conversations in
the car, it became a way for us to bond
even more. Over time this led me to an
idea: What if I had a road trip with my
parents now? What would that look like?
What would that sound like? What would I
tell them about my life now as an adult, as a
dad?
I explored these questions in uMUZI. Through
the production, I tried new things using
outboard gear to get the sound I desired
and vocally too, new harmonies and all.
Very personal but also very liberating. These
ideas are inspired by everything I saw in
Empangeni. These stories made me. These
stories heal me.” – Muzi