Identity, this is a characteristic that may take us our entire lifetime to discover. It is tangled with language, geographical location, sense of self, appearance, contentment and even religion. At its heart is a sense of home, a feeling of being in the right place. This is the sentiment HALU!, an enigmatic DJ/producer who performs faceless, and Skai, a soul bearing songstress explore in their debut collaborative offering, Eyethu.
In isiNdebele, “Eyethu” directly translates to “ours,” yet to simply describe it as that is not enough. It is a signifier of belonging, a symbol of collective heritage. On a similar wavelength dance and soul find common ground in Afro house on this EP, in a union that just feels like it belongs.
HALU!’s persona and sound are eclectic, distinct, and unique: seeing him fuse elements of Afro-tech, electro house and African traditional music to create his own sonic offering. While on the other hand Skai’s is driven by poetry and deeply rooted in Afro-jazz and neo-soul. The singer’s musical identity that draws from themes of love, loss, faith, and spiritual growth.
Eyethu’s progressive textures are met with soulful vocals and inspiring bouts of poetry that make for captivating tales. There is an ethereal feel to the production that lends itself well to Skai’s songwriting. The album’s lodestone “Kumba,” is a song of return to a state of being; finding yourself. The synth tinged journey to home draws on emotions and it is a personal revelation that is instantly relatable.
“Ikhanya” has a titillating rhythm and lyricism oozing with pride, while “Inguwe” is a dance floor ready love song laden with yearning and “The Lost Ones” is a anthem of identity and rediscovering who we are. It is anchored by a powerful chorus that calls us to refuse to be seen as inconsequential: “They call us the lost ones, the ones without fathers/Trouble they call us but not by our names/They call us the rejects, that fell their captors/But they all see us coming…”
Eyethu is at the same intimate and universal. It is a rallying call that speaks to personal battles and the greater community, without sacrificing on musicality. The Zimbabwean duo’s collaboration delivers a beautiful work of Afro house that easily fits within the continent’s broader soundscapes. It is a diversion from Skai’s typical production, a small twist in the path for HALU! but a beacon for healing and the meaning of who we are as Africans.
House rating: 7.3/10
