

Maskandi Zulu folk music is built around a simple setup—concertina, acoustic guitar, bass and drums—with the skill of the players and vocalists breathing vibrant life into a genre reflecting South Africa's changing society. Delicate guitar lines and rolling bass underpin frank tales of everyday life, with joyful call-and-response vocals exchanged between singers. Bonakele's voice has a soft, high-pitched tone that lends an emotional quality to her recordings, while Phuzekhemisi, one of the genre's innovators, brings drum machines and synths together with traditional instruments.