Tracy – Ngyazama Ft. Bassie, Sykes, T-Man SA, Lethiwe Sibiya & Basetsana Maluleka

The word is Zulu and speaks of making an effort, of giving something your best shot. It is a humble claim. Nobody says they have succeeded, only that they are trying. In real life, that is often the most honest thing a person can say. The student who is reading late, the trader building a business from small capital and the young man looking for work all live inside that word.

The guest list is the first thing that stands out on the credit. Bassie, Sykes, T-Man SA, Lethiwe Sibiya and Basetsana Maluleka all appear beside Tracy, which makes this one of the busiest line-ups on the album. A crowd like that usually means a record built around the energy of many voices. Five guests on one song also say something about the circle around this project, a group of people who clearly enjoy making music together.

Ngyazama sits on AZALONDWE, and a title about effort fits well inside a project with that kind of team spirit. Trying alone is tiring, but trying together feels lighter, and that is the thought I take from the way the credits are laid out.

It suits the hour when you are tired, the work is not finished and you tell yourself you will keep going a little longer.

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