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Ntando - Uhambo Lwami

Ntando returns mid-2007 with an album that undeniably showcases his standing as the country's premiere Afro-Pop artist.

Titled 'Uhambo Lwam', this is the sound of an artist reaching his prime – and, in fact, is also a release that identifies Ntando Bangani as a mature artist, capable of running his own career in a way that best serves his unique creative vision.

The latter comes through the artist's deal with EMI/CCP Record Company which was inked earlier this year. The deal sees Ntando's Bonfire Entertainment in a partnership with the major record company as a vehicle to release Ntando's solo recordings as well as those by new artists discovered by Ntando and signed to Bonfire.

'The time came for me to take my career to a new level and really take charge of my musical career because this is the only career that I am ever going to have,' Ntando says simply.

With this as the background, Ntando says creating 'Uhambo Lwam' was the most pleasurable experience of his musical life so far. 'I have a studio at home and so was able to take my time in making the album. I must say I've always found the idea of going into a studio for a few weeks and having to come out with an album on the other side quite artificial. I am grateful that I have the means to work at my own speed and I think that you can hear it in the music.'

That every single track on the 13-song offering is of world-class quality comes down to Ntando's commitment to 'never including an average song on my albums'. Although he claims he's 90 percent there with 'Uhambo Lwam', his fans would disagree after just one listen to the album. The fact is that the 13 tunes on 'Uhambo Lwam' make for sublime listening, combining Ntando's mellifluous and distinctive voice, with production that's high on live instrumentation (horns abound), and a sound that is vintage Ntando with strong elements of reggae and more in the mix.

'Songs, for me, are the most important thing for me,' Ntando says. 'As a child I would listen to Michael Jackson songs day-after-day, writing down the lyrics and seeing the way the songs were written. I discovered that there was a pattern in the way his songs were written and that really got me excited about being able to create my own music.' Bob Marley was also an influence – and, up to today, Ntando is influenced by ragga, reggae and dancehall, expressing a desire to go to Jamaica.

'To me, the melody is the most important thing – that's why they call it music and not 'talking'. I know when a song works – it could come from India and I may not understand the lyrics, but I feel it in my skin and I know that this song is just right.' That said, Ntando is adamant that his music 'comes from God'. 'I am just the vessel – when I am about to work on a new album, I just ask God to send me songs and thankfully the come.'

That Ntando has a sense of spirituality fits with the space he occupies on the South African music scene: sure Ntando is a pin-up and a young man who lives his life to the full, but in essence he has a deep sense of values and what's right and wrong, as well as strong ties to his roots.

Indeed, it was when his Dad gave his stamp of approval to 'Uhambo Lwam' that Ntando knew the album was just right. 'I was at the petrol station, playing the album in my car and I never noticed my Dad behind me. I turned around and heard him say, in Xhosa, 'I was holding my heart in my hands but now I don't have to' that I knew I had done a good job and made the right decision in going it on my own.'

'Uhambo Lwam' features a range of songs that never deviate from Ntando's central theme of love, but always retain the sense of individuality that this gifted artist has managed to create through a career that has seen him sell platinum-plus and win armfuls of awards.

For Ntando he's confident that he's outstripped his previous recordings ('Kwantu', 'Imvelaphi') with 'Uhambo Lwam' but he is never content to rest on his laurels. His vision for his new recording was to create an album that sounded natural, organic and remained true to his vision of making music that a broad cross section of music fans (young, old, different cultural backgrounds) will be able to treasure.

Ntando attributes his ability to rise above the trappings of fame to his upbringing. 'My surroundings were always very positive and this plays a role in my creative life.

'I love what I do and I am going to stick to it. I treat it seriously – it's my life. You can't test – you have to be sure about what you do. You can't say 'let me try this or that'. You have to be sure of what you do and I am sure about making music that speaks directly to people's hearts.'