Listen to Buhlebendalo’s Cover of Brenda Fassie’s ‘Too Late for Mama’
BuhlebendalocoversBrenda Fassie's 'Too Late for Mama' in her new album.
The cover for Buhlebendalo's new album 'Chosi.'
South African healer and musician Buhlebendalo's new album ends with a cover of late South African music legend Brenda Fassie's 1989 hit "Too Late for Mama."
The song tells the story of a woman who gets struck lightning together with her baby while she's out in the bush to fetch some water.
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Brenda Fassie's vocals sound distant and echoes contributing to the intense emotion being expressed in the song. While Brenda Fassie's vocals on the original version of "Too Late for Mama" is accompanied by a dancebale instrumental, Buhlebendalo's version treats itself as a jazz piece. The beat was replayed by a band which embellishes the tune with keys and a wider bassline.
The cover appears on Buhlebendalo's newly released debut album Chosi.
The words "Chosi" is a response to a storyteller before and after they tell a story in Xhosa, Zulu and other Nguni languages. On Chosi, Buhlebendalo tells her story, giving insights on her spiritual journey and offers her take on the human condition. The 13-track feaures artists such as Sjava, Madala Kunene and Mthetheleli Gongotha.
"Everything I'm passionate about is communicated in the lyrical content of the album but it was mostly triggered by [abuse] that women go through every day, even in the so-called safety of their own homes," Buhlebendalo told Dispatch LIVE earlier this month prior to the album's release.
Chosi is the artist's first solo album. She has been a member of the group The Soil since the early 2010s. Another member of The Soil Ntsika released his debut album last year.
Stream Chosi on Apple Music and Spotify.
