Ntsika, The Alchemist.

The 9^th of July 2022 will go down in history as the day dreams came to life and hearts were restored, and it’s all thanks to the gift of music. Ntsika Ngxanga promised his fans a magical evening of healing through music but no one could have anticipated the magnitude of the magic that would enfold us all as Ntsika serenaded us.

The presence of Spirit was undeniable from the moment Ntsika stepped on stage with his wooden stick in one hand, slightly bend emulating the structure of an old man. He greeted each member of his band with the utmost love and respect and took a moment to pay homage to his God and ancestors. Once this moment was concluded, the show was officially on! Starting off with Camagu, which also happens to be the first track on his debut album I Write What I Dream.

Song after song the audience was jubilant. We had a momentary interval as Laduma Ngxokolo took to stage to brief us on MAXHOSA AFRICA‘s latest range titled Alkebulan as inspired by Ntsika’s similarly titled song. Beyond that, we also learnt that Ntsika has a whole army of friends who honoured the invite to join him on stage on this magical evening.

… Having not watched Idols in years I was not acquainted at all with Karabo Mathe, but when she belted out her first note, I understood why the audience was excited for her feature. She took us to church with the offering of her debut song Hosanna and sealed it off with a collabo on the song Siyakudumisa Bawo with Ntsika.

Now, if you have followed Ntsika’s solo career you would know that no show of his is complete without a feature from the loved and celebrated musician Dumza Maswana. The duo paid homage to the African heroes and heroines with the song Mwelase.

And just as my luck would have it, Dumza performed Emihle which is a beautiful ballad dedicated to his daughter. It tells a story of a father’s love, and a joy in his child and how he wishes her the best in life, not forgetting to instill principles of love, respect and humility.

It was now well past 22h30 but the magic bag was not quite empty yet. The crowd rose to their feet as Luphindo “Master P” Ngxanga and Buhlebendalo Mda joined Ntsika on stage. Side note: Master P & Ntsika’s secret handshake is one of the coolest things you will see on this side of the equator.

As much as the trio was performing, the audience was belting out every note along with them. We even got a taste of music from their upcoming album and all I can say is that we are all in for a treat!

By this point the trio were now taking us back in time by performing some of their songs from their debut album, first on the list was Girl I Love (I’m Lonely). Their harmonies were flawless as always, the intro was warming the crowd – some still searching their mental archives to place the song. Now I must say and I bet you would agree that no one scats the way Samthing Soweto does. When he started scatting – this in the intro of the song, all bets were off. He took to the stage and a dream that lasted over a decade finally came true, the audience bawled and cried real tears.

Let’s give some context for the few who may not understand the significance of this moment.

Samkelo Mdolomba popularly known as Samthing Soweto was a member of The Soil. Yes, prior 2010/11, The Soil was a quartet. He left the group just as their debut album hit the shelves and since then, we the fans of The Soil, have been hoping that one day we would see the quartet reunited on stage. After a decade this started feeling like a pipedream, it was the unspoken dream for years. For me, the reunion represented love and restoration, and I bet it met different things for different people. I hope you now understand the magnitude of this historical moment. As Paulo Coelho said in his book The Alchemist, “when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it”. We wanted this reunion to happen in our lifetime and universe conspired to make it happen.

Needless to say we sang all the way to the parking lot and I have been a happier person since that magical evening. This, is the new dawn!

Camagwini!