Legendary jazz musician and drum wizard Vusi Khumalo has
applied his extraordinary talent to the creation of the soundtrack for She is King, the upcoming Gersh Kgamedi
movie which was released on December 1.
The son of a baritone saxophone player, Khumalo is one of
the foremost percussionists in South Africa. Best known for playing on Paul
Simon's album Graceland and the
subsequent world tour, Khumalo has also toured with South African diva Miriam
Makeba, with whom he performed at the Royal Albert Hall in 1996, and at Nelson
Mandela tribute at London's Wembley Stadium in 1998. He has performed with
South African musicians including Winston Mankunku, Bheki Mseleku, Barney
Rachabane, and Allen Kwela. Internationally, he has worked with legends Chucho
Valdes, Youssou N’Dour, Bob Baldwin, Donald Harrison, and the late Carl
Anderson.
A musical celebration of Zulu culture, She is King stars Khabonina Qubeka, Khanyi Mbau, Mandisa Nduna,
Aubrey Poo, and the fresh-faced Gugu Zulu, to name a few. Directed by Gersh, it
presents the City of Gold as the African Broadway, and tells the story of
Khanyisile (Gugu Zulu), a talented young singer, dancer and actor who wants to
be a star. She travels from her home in Nongoma in KwaZulu-Natal to
Johannesburg to audition for a role in a musical based on the life of powerful
Zulu Queen Mkabayi ka Jama – Shaka’s aunt.
The soundtrack is sure to appeal to fans of local music. The
album features songs from big stars including Brenda Fassie, Lucky Dube,
Simpiwe Dana, PJ Powers, Joseph Shabalala, and Vusi Khumalo himself, as well as
hot new tracks by Gugu Zulu and rapper Mandisa Nduna. A showcase for some of
the best South African music, the film includes songs by international stars
like Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Juluka and Brenda Fassie, as well as a number of
traditional Zulu musicians.
“Soundtracks are important because they help to build the
tone and mood of a film,” says Gersh. “The soundtrack is integral to making the
movie what it is. Bra Vusi has done an amazing job in choosing tracks that
influence the atmosphere in the film and the perceptions of the viewer. He
believes in identifying and developing new talent, and is known for encouraging
and mentoring young musicians. As the musical director of She is King, he has put together an album of the best in new music
as well as much-loved older hits.”
The first single from the film’s soundtrack, a revamped version
of Brenda Fassie’s hit Higher and Higher,
sung by Mandisa Nduna, dropped early in November. The second single She’s a King, by Nduna and Zulu, is
available for download online.
Other notable tracks include Simphiwe Dana’s Iliwa Lam, Gugu Zulu’s Scamtho (composed by Vusi Khumalo), and Too Irie by Mo’faya feat. Jahzo,
originally composed by Lucky Dube and remixed by K Muambadzi. The film also
features some great tracks by DJ Shimza (Party
ka Shimza), flamboyant singer Moonchild (Mr Chow) and hip-hop star Ifani.
The film was made with the support of the Department of
Trade and Industry (the DTI), MNET and the Gauteng Film Commission (GFC), and is distributed in South Africa by Indigenous Film Distribution. It opened
nationwide on December 1 .
Higher and Higher
is available online. She’s a King can
be downloaded at http://smarturl.it/NdunaSheAking
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