After a three-year hiatus, musician Lungisa Xhamela is back with a new single that showcases his versatility and spiritual depth.
Xhamela rose to fame in 2015 when he was a finalist on season 11 of “Idols SA”. He later went on to earn a South African Music Award (Sama) for best album – for his debut album, “My Heart To Your Soul” in 2020.
He explains that the “break has been challenging, but in the end, it was worth it”.
“At the time I had ‘writer’s block’ and lacked inspiration. I made a conscious decision to take a break from everything. At that time it wasn’t easy.
“However, through those challenging times I picked up a lot of inspiration on the way,” he tells IOL Entertainment.
The soulful singer’s new single, “Kuwe Bawo”, is a prayerful amapiano masterpiece that blends infectious beats with heartfelt lyrics, making it an instant hit for fans of both gospel and dance music.
Xhamela shared that he is currently in a transitional phase of playing around with the amapiano sound when it comes to his music, which he acknowledges has been a difficult task, yet fun.
“I’ve always believed in diversifying my musicality. My first single back in 2016 was a dance song called ‘Musiq (Ngaphakathi)’ produced by DJ Fortee. From there I’ve sort of interchanged between different sounds and genres, however I’ve kept a certain unique set of musical traits throughout my catalogue.
“This trademark makes it easier for my fans to identify me in any song and through any genre.”
An artist’s life is never without ups and downs, which Xhamela says is the beauty behind his growth in the industry.
“Genuine success cannot be obtained through smooth sailing. So I’ve ridden that not-so-smooth wave a lot throughout my career.
“What I love most about it is that I’ve never been stagnant. God has allowed me to grow musically, spiritually and in many other ways.”
“Kuwe Bawo" is the first single off Xhamela’s highly anticipated forthcoming second studio album and is described as a celebration of faith, hope and joy.
He is currently in studio recording his second project and is hoping to release it before the end of year.
“I’m looking for the best collaborations I can find, especially in this new sound I’ve gone with.
“There are so many songs I’ve recorded that are already getting love at the performances. So I’m really excited to end the year strong – to showcase to the country and to the world what I’ve been up to.”