B-Metro
Langalakhe Mabena
All-rounder artiste Hwabaraty (real name Japhet Mlauzi) has returned with a bang in the local arts scene as he has released visuals for his latest album Jalimana, in the form of a 14-minute short film.
Jalimana is an ancestral spirit bestowed upon a person, which is said to come with good luck and affluence.
The short film is a way of simplifying the Jalimana movement about its spiritual significance and its connection with Hwabaraty’s life.
On the short project, Hwabaraty worked with NISO and AJV Entertainment Company who helped the dreadlocked muso to put his dream and vision into possibly simplified visuals.
“Jelimana lidlozi (it’s an ancestral spirit) that brings about luck in one’s life. Back then every white person was called a Jelimana, and when a black person was successful in life, elders often said uleJelimana (he has luck just like a white person).
“This all reflects back to my life. When I was young, I was blessed and very lucky that I toured Europe, there is no major country that I never performed at in my life.
“But as I grew up, I started to ignore my cultural values as an African and the gods punished me for that. Things started to be hard in my life. But when I answered my calling and reconnected with my roots, the ship started to sail smoothly again,” said Hwabaraty.
He said Jelimana was a movement that has a vision to go far to the extent of being exported to other countries.
“Jelimana project is a movement. First, I did the music album, which was followed by the musical stage play. Now we released this short film.
“This is not the end of it, a book and a documentary are yet to be released so that the spiritual process I went through on coming up with this project can be shared all over the world to different people on different packages,” said Hwabaraty.
