The past few months have been busy for the 23-Year-old Bonga Kwana a new Cape Town based (Eastern Cape born) Singer-Songwriter on the rise.
Her recently released single “Ndifuna Wena” in collaboration with Ntsika (from The Soil) found its way to the #1 5FM Pop chart for three consecutive weeks and sits in the Top 5 position on Gagasi FM’s Top 10 Afro chart.
Bonga Kwana is not just a writer, singer, and poet, she is also a queer activist and a strong voice in her community and was recently invited alongside fellow artists Armand Joubert, MxBlouse, to be part of Apple Music’s Pride campaign with an inspiring playlist take-over featuring her inspirations as well as some of her already released music. To add to the energy behind Bonga Kwana she is also in the top three South African semi-finalists on Take Back The Mic: Africa, debuting November 5th to 7th.
Today, Bonga Kwana releases her full seven-track EP New Faces to Old Problems, which includes previously released singles “Ndifuna Wena “and “Sivulele” as well as 5 new tracks ranging from soulful ballads to the Kwaito/Afro-Soul reminiscent “Khawuleza”.
“New Faces to Old Problems is an EP about realizing/acknowledging that the things we go through today are not unique to us and our generation. Our parents, their parents, their parent’s parents, and the generation that came before them have all experienced and lived through most of the problems and social ills with which we are faced in our lifetime. Poverty, pain, love, heartbreak, racism, sexism, homophobia, etc are ills that are, by no means, new or unique to our generation. What is always unique is how we handle these things, how we navigate life with wounds and traumas from the past, while unlearning, healing and learning healthier and better ways of channeling pain,”
shares Bonga Kwana.
She adds:
“I would best describe this EP as a musical experience of generational wealth, trauma and navigating the similarities and contradictions of the past and the present.”
Stream or download Bonga Kwana’s debut EP, New Faces to Old Problems, today – https://platoon.lnk.to/new-faces-to-old-problems
The general theme of this EP is love, faith, resistance, resilience, and spirituality. From “Nzwakazi” which is a “protest” song (love, resilience, and resistance), to “Bhongo Lam” and “Iinjongo”.
“I endeavour to capture the spirit of black Xhosa people – we are people of Ubuntu, love and by utilising IsiXhosa and English throughout the EP, I want to highlight that I was brought up in two different worlds, having been born in the Eastern Cape and raised in Cape Town and having attended “model C” schools that set me apart from a lot of black and Xhosa people out there,”
reveals Bonga Kwana.
“I pay homage to those who have come before me, honoring the role they have played to ensure that I am where I am today. I was raised in the church, brought up with Christianity – this comes through in some of my songs as I make biblical references and refer to biblical anecdotes throughout the EP. Although I have separated myself from the staunch beliefs with which I was raised, I do not want to overlook the impact those teachings and beliefs have had in my life. They shaped the person that I am today, even though I no longer identify as a Christian,”
shares Bonga Kwana.
Connect with Bonga Kwana on social media for more music news and give her debut EP a listen today – https://platoon.lnk.to/new-faces-to-old-problems
Connect with Bonga Kwana:
Facebook: @bongakwana21
Twitter: @bongakwana
Instagram: @bonga_kwana
