Langalakhe Mabena
They are both talented creatives and when their efforts are combined together, African music comes to life.
Iyana (loosely translated to It is raining), is the name of the group which comprises award winning muso Qeqeshiwe Mntambo and Trust Samende, one of the best guitarists to ever come from Zimbabwe.
The birth of the duo outfit was an experiment which took three good weeks of observation and the findings proved to be positive as during that period, an album was recorded and it is ready to be launched in Harare on 19 June.
The offering which is titled Iyana will comprise 10 songs sung in Zulu, Ndebele and Xhosa, and those who will grace the launch of the album at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (second floor), will get an opportunity to sample the songs live in an unplugged session.
“Iyana started as an experiment, we combined efforts with Qeqeshiwe Mntambo to try something new and fresh that will sell our culture to the rest of the world. It’s a really exciting project,” said Samende who is a lead guitarist for globetrotting Mokoomba outfit.
Lyrical prowess, delicate guitar strumming and dedication gave birth to Iyana.
“The day we started we didn’t have even a single song, not even a word as we started from scratch.
We decided to do a camp (for three weeks) and see what will come out and from the experiment, Iyana was born,” emphasised Samende.
Their sound is a fusion of different genres that are put together in combination with Afro music.
“Our music basically is a fusion of many genres; we incorporated all that we have learnt in our journey and experience in the music industry.
It’s a very positive project because we got an opportunity to express ourselves on this particular album.
“It will be launched on 19 June at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Harare and we will perform live the songs that are on the projects which include Iyana, Umthwalo, Indlala, Imali, Inkomo, among others.
“I have always wanted to write music that speaks to the soul, from happiness, sadness and reflect the nature of life as it is, and with this album, Afro-Fusion fanatics will definitely enjoy the melodies on the offering,” said Mntambo.
From the feedback that Iyana has been receiving from fans, one can judge that their album is not a disappointing effort.
“We performed for the first time as Iyana in Harare last month (May) and from the feedback that we received I can say people love our music because it speaks to the soul.
“The vision behind the creation of this group was to give quality music that will survive generations.
“Just like rain, we are here to feed people in different ways and bring about life on different humans,” said Mntambo.
