Black Motion – Prayer for Women (Afro-Jazz Interlude) Ft. Spice Drums, S-Que, Thabo Roy Mabogwane, Mpho Thobejane, Smangaliso Qala, Nomsa Mabel Mokake and Bongumenzi Kevin Mkhonta

The title alone tells a story. A prayer is a quiet act, and putting women at the centre of it feels deliberate. Think of the women in your own life, mothers, aunties, sisters, wives and friends, who carry homes, businesses and communities, often without thanks. A prayer for them is a form of respect that many of us feel but rarely say aloud.

The bracket matters too. Calling it an Afro-Jazz Interlude tells you the intention. It is a short pause inside a larger project, a place where the album slows down and thinks. Interludes like this often work as the emotional centre of a record, the point where the tone changes before the next stretch begins.

The credit list is one of the longest on the album. Spice Drums, S-Que, Thabo Roy Mabogwane, Mpho Thobejane, Smangaliso Qala, Nomsa Mabel Mokake and Bongumenzi Kevin Mkhonta all appear with the South African duo, and that many names on an interlude suggests care went into it. The record sits on Pula le Maatla, a project name that speaks about rain and strength, both things women are often credited with bringing to a home.

It is a good moment for a quiet evening, or a message of thanks to someone who has carried more than her share.

Download MP3