Hip-hop artists work with San
FOUR Eastern Cape hip-hop artists have collaborated with two San tribes – the !Xun and the Khwe – to produce music that would promote indigenous languages.
The collaboration is part of the Foundation Legacy Project and is a partnership with their record label, East Londonbased Asanda Empires, and the SABC.
Asanda Empires founder Asanda Mabengwana said the project had been on the cards for more than a year now.
“The idea is to promote XK [!Xun and Khwe] languages and the San community.
“As a record label that has rappers, we’ve collaborated with the cultural groups in the community,” Mabengwana said.
“We record, mix and master the music then the SABC promotes it on its platforms.”
Asanda Empires, which has a licensing partnership with Universal Music, was founded by Mabengwana in May 2016.
The artists – ARTeast, Kay, Vi Bittz and Takwana – have already released their first single featuring the N’lava Cultural Group.
“The single, Focus, is out and all SABC stations have playlisted it and the video is available on their websites and YouTube,” Mabengwana said
“We will be releasing another single soon.”
He said they had a total of 10 songs to record with the cultural group.
Stutterheim-born Kay, whose real name is Kamvelihle Kostile, said working with the N’lava Cultural Group had been a refreshing experience for them.
“The people were so welcoming there. Even though we did not understand the language we could still feel the warmth,” he said, adding that they had an interpreter during their stay in Kimberley.