UJU – Mellifluous Honey

Written by Sam Mathe
Tuesday, 05 July 2011 14:07

I saw UJU perform was in April 2006 during a Unicef dinner in honour of the American artist Quincy Jones. The venue was Corner House in downtown Johannesburg. The youthful band’s out-of-the-box musical expression left a lasting impression on me.

The only other band whose eclectic artistry and unpredictability impressed me as much was Kwani Experience during a sterling performance at Newtown’s Horror Cafe at the launch of their groundbreaking debut album, Muthaland. It was a transcendental musical experience that pushed stylistic frontiers and offered a hint of how richly diverse our music could be if young artists with great potential can approach their craft in a free-spirited and uninhibited manner.

And that is exactly what UJU are doing. The title of their long-awaited 2010 debut album, Free (Sony Music), is testimony to their genre-defying musicality while their name – Zulu for honey – points to the fresh and naturally sweet tones of their musical expression, which is primarily dance-oriented while 27-year-old Ntuthu Ndlovu, the band’s lead female vocalist and poet, throws in the lyrics.
She holds her own as a gifted singer with spiritual panache. Her telling lines and cutting lyrics are seamlessly complemented by Wandile Molebatsi (26), rapper and percussionist, who brings into the UJU repertoire a refreshing hip-hop element. Molebatsi is also a talented actor whose TV credits include the drama series When We Were Black and Rhythm City, in which he plays the part of a young activist during the Soweto Uprisings and a troubled gospel star respectively.

Bassist Mosebetsi Nzimande (26) and former journalist and rhythm guitarist Earl Joseph complete the Joburg-based band. Individually and collectively, they boast incredibly wide and diverse musical muses on both sides of the Atlantic. These include Busi Mhlongo, Brenda Fassie, Fela Kuti, Thandiswa Mazwai, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Beyoncé, Radiohead, The Roots, Li’l Wayne, Richard Bona, Goldfrapp, The Wedding Present, Patti Smith and many more.

In Free these diverse and seemingly disparate influences – which include maskandi, dub reggae, hip-hop, alternative rock and township pop – are masterfully distilled into a cutting-edge yet accessible urban contemporary sound of dance melodies characterised by urgent, current and consciousness-raising messages of individual freedom, romantic love, xenophobia, HIV/AIDS, spousal abuse and the materialistic bling-bling culture.

“Let me tell you what’s all about, it’s about big houses in the suburbs, BMWs, everybody out there trying to make money, you and me walking in the streets, pretending we don’t see the poor people that we meet...” they sing in Narcisse (track 4).

The plight of refugees and the scourge of xenophobia is poignantly captured in the simple but telling lyrics and sultry and soulful vocals (including a news-bulletin snippet) of I Am Lost. “I was hoping for a place that I could call my own, but in a place of war, no peace, no love, it is an illusion...”

Somewhat fun, somewhat serious but never dull, as a live band UJU has for six years showcased its mellifluous repertoire in most of Joburg’s famous venues including Blues Room (Sandton); 44 Stanley (Milpark); the Songwriter’s Club, Bassline and Shivava Cafe (all in Newtown); and of course, Corner House, where they impressed legendary producer and songwriter Quincy Jones.
They have also performed at their fair share of major festivals. I hope their recent entrance into the commercial recording industry through this outstanding album, which was recently nominated for a Metro FM Award in the Best Produced Album category, will pave the way for countrywide recognition and eventual international stage time and airplay.