Musician, songwriter, and cultural pioneer, Dr Thokozani Mhlambi\u2019s newest single, New Sensation of Life<\/strong>, drops today on all streaming platforms.<\/p>\n

The 37-year-old KwaZulu-Natal composer is known for incorporating art with music, having held an artistic residency at the prestigious Cite International des Arts in Paris France, and having his music used as a soundtrack for an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.<\/p>\n

Mhlambi has just returned from an Artist Fellowship at the University of Bayreuth in Germany, where he spent most of his time interacting with other musicians and creating new work. His latest single leans into the love of storytelling through music with a special emphasis on new beginnings.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe single was inspired by the events that transpired during the pandemic. There was this sense of hopelessness from everyone. But then there was change, people began to get closer to one another again. A new sensation was born out of it. That is what the song represents to me,\u201d he said<\/p>\n

Last October, Mhlambi presented a 10-week cultural tour, where he was involved in a series of performances, panel discussions, and museum visits across North America. This was followed by\u00a0Thokozani Mhlambi in Concert <\/strong>–<\/em>\u00a0a show comprising Zulu songs, performed on cello and voice. This was part of Mhlambi\u2019s goal of highlighting the art of storytelling as an ancient African art form.<\/p>\n

His latest single also focuses on collaboration and African influence.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was fortunate enough to work with a brilliant team of engineers and support people. The guys in Woodstock Cape Town, put together the right combination of equipment to give the song a very transparent colour. The mixing done in Durban was gentle but exquisite,\u201d he said<\/p>\n

The video for the song was shot in Bayreuth, Germany.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a great boon. I got to experience the creative production side of things in a new country, with its own culture. I gained exposure to being able to articulate my ideas in a way that transcends cultural barriers. It was very important for me. Because I did not want to tell just a South African story, I wanted to convey a message that could reach people everywhere,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

His collaborative nature was brought through in the video as he worked with the Bayreuth Balletschulle (Ballet school), who brought dancers of different ages to feature in the video.<\/p>\n

\u201cI enlisted the support of friends I made along my journey, who feature as the guests at the banquet in the video.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to use the moment to reflect on my journey as a travelling musician, and how I may also leave an imprint in the places I have been. So the video is also a kind of archive, a storehouse of feelings, emotions, revealed through the visual message,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The song is available on all streaming platforms today.To check out some of his performances in Germany, visit YouTube: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=A13079SIa-E<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Musician, songwriter, and cultural pioneer, Dr Thokozani Mhlambi\u2019s newest single, New Sensation of Life, drops today on all streaming platforms. The 37-year-old KwaZulu-Natal composer is known for incorporating art with music, having held an artistic residency at the prestigious Cite International des Arts in Paris France, and having his music used as a soundtrack for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11684,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music"],"yoast_head":"\n