UMCULI wakuleli we-Afro soul, uThandiswa Mazwai, uzogubha ukuphela kweminyaka ewu-20 akhipha ulozolo lwe-albhamu eyayisihloko esithi: Zabalaza ngedili lo mculo eliseCarnival City, eGoli, ngoMeyi 11.
UThandiswa uthe kulo mcimbi uzoqhulula amanoni azowatomula kwiZabalaza nakwicwecwe elisha elisihloko esithi Sankofa.
"Angikholwa ukuthi sekuphele iminyaka ewu-20. Kube yiminyaka eyisimangaliso."
UThandiswa uthe leli cwecwe elaliqukethe amanoni athi: Lahlumlenze nelithi Ndilinde lakhiqiza abaculi abaningi abafuna ukuhamba ezinyathelweni zakhe.
"Lenza isizukulwane sazibheka ukuthi singobani futhi safuna ukwazi ngemvelaphi yaso. Kubo bonke abathanda le albhamu ngithi 'ngiyabonga ngokungenza umuntu."
Echaza nge-albhamu entsha, uThandiswa uthe isihloko se-albhamu entsha, iSankofa, sisuselwe olimini lwaseGhana iTwi, okuchaza ukubuyela emuva bese uyothatha okwasala ngemuva okusemqoka, okukuhloniphayo nokudinga ukukuphilisa.
Uthe ngalolu suku uyobe ethula wona umsebenzi omusha.
"Ngokwami, unyaka weSankofa lona."
Le albhamu yaqoshwa eGoli, eDakar, naseNew York futhi ihlanganise isigqi somculo wendabuko wakwaXhosa, umculo we-jazz nesigqi somculo wasenyakatho ne-Afrika.
Kubantu asebenze nabo kubalwa uMeshell Ndegeocello, uNduduzo Makhathini, uThandi Ntuli noTendai Shoko.
Eqhuba, uThandiswa uthe ukwenziwa kweSankofa kwaba uhambo olwamsusa e-Eastern Cape lwamyisa eDakar naseNew York.
"Ngijabule kakhulu ukwabelana ngomculo nabantu abakhule nami nabawe bevuka nami. Lalela uhadi, umrhubhe, ngoni, kora nezigubhu emculweni.
“Leli cwecwe liwumgubho womoya wase-Afrika nokuxhumana kabusha nabantu base-Afrika namaphethelo," kuphetha uThandiswa owaqala ukucula ngo-1995, ngesikhathi seBongo Maffin.
Emuva kokuqopha ama-albhamu ayisithupha ahlabane ngemiklomelo ehlukahlukene, wabe esezimela.
Umsebenzi wakhe wokuqala waba ngo-2004, ashaya kuwo i-double platinum neminye imiklomelo eminingi.
Useke washiyelana inkundla noSalif Keita, Hugh Masekela, Busi Mhlongo, Stevie Wonder, Cesaria Evora, Paul Simon nezinye izihlabani zamazwe ngamazwe.